Heroines of Hyrule
by Blizzaga Saga
Summary: Ocarina of Time AU. The Kokiri maim Link and force him to leave the forest as a child. In Hyrule he finds a world of possibilities open to him, but anger has narrowed his focus. His vow never to be a victim again is tested when evil seeps into Hyrule. Can this Link still become a hero?
1. Strange Beginnings, Part 1

_Blizzaga Saga_ : LINK IS NOT FEMALE IN THIS. The title refers to something else. ;)

I wrote this on a whim for Camp NaNoWriMo. (It's fun; look it up!) It's been sitting in my folder for unused plot bunnies, and I thought I might as well post it. The idea adheres to OoT's main plot points but also differs in big ways. The genre is all over the place with some action, adventure, romance, and angst. Chapters will be short and won't take priority over my other stories, but hopefully they'll still be enjoyable. :)

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"Freak! You don't belong here!"

Every day was the same. If he didn't hear it out loud, he sensed it in the stiff or even hostile way they regarded him.

Link cried. The Deku Tree said big boys don't cry, but he was so tired of being alone, tired of not understanding why Mido hated him. The boss of the Kokiri had never accepted him as one of them, and the others were finally starting to side with him.

His blonde bangs fell in front of his eyes as he ran. His hair still grew, even though a Kokiri's was supposed to stop after it reached a certain length.

"I wish he would just get lost in the forest and turn into a Stalfos," one of the twin girls said. She probably thought he couldn't hear her, but his ears were longer than everyone else's—another reason everyone was suspicious of him—and he heard every bad thing everyone said about him.

"Maybe he's already turning into one," said the other twin. "He's getting bigger than any Kokiri has ever been. Mido wants to keep everyone safe in case he attacks."

Tears blurred his vision. How could they think he would attack them? Didn't they realize they were the ones hurting him?

"Saria's not going to like that."

Saria... She was such a nice person—the only nice person. She was too nice for her own good, refusing to believe what Link had already accepted.

He would never be a Kokiri. Mido would never stop bullying him and watching him like he was a threat, like he was committing a crime just by existing. If it wasn't true before, it was certainly true now that he was an inch taller than everyone else. All his life, Link just wanted to blend in so no one would make fun of him, but with his long limbs, he stood out more than ever.

"Link! Stop!" one of the know-it-all brothers yelled. Link didn't listen, but it didn't matter because he soon found himself on the ground beneath the other brother.

"Stop it, Link! Stay still!" the Kokiri demanded, pinning Link's wrist to the ground. Link was about to retort when a fist collided with his temple, stunning him.

When he snapped out of it, he saw Mido coming toward him, and his eyes widened; the boss of the Kokiri carried the Kokiri Sword.

"Tie him up," Mido commanded. "We have to make sure he can't hurt anyone!"

"Let me go! I didn't do anything!"

"Link, if you don't stay still and let us do this, we're going to have to hurt you."

Not trusting his safety to the boys who chased him, Link shook off his captor, but his victory was short-lived. As Mido shifted his stance with the Kokiri Sword, Link was shocked into inaction; the Great Deku Tree said the weapon was only to be used on wolfos and monsters. Did that make Link a monster?

The blade sank into his shoulder, and he let out a scream that filled the forest. In her home across the village, Saria stiffened. Recognizing her best friend and the pain he was in, the green-haired girl ran outside.

Stunned by what they had done, the boys attacking Link froze long enough for him to stand and put some space between them. His right arm hurt too much to move, and it bled all over his green tunic, but all of Link's sadness and fear had turned to rage. He was bigger than they were, if only slightly. If they wanted a fight, he'd give them one.

"Leave me alone!"

The know-it-all brothers shared frightened glances; this was the first time the shy, depressed blonde had ever been this loud and aggressive. Mido, however, was just as angry as Link.

"Stay down!" the Kokiri boss demanded and swung the blade again. He seethed when Link stepped back and avoided it. "You think you're better than us, freak? I bet you're just trying to get close to Saria so you can hurt her!"

Link's wound throbbed, but Mido's words hurt worse. For years Link knew he didn't deserve Saria's friendship. She was only person who was nice to him, the most wonderful girl he knew, and she shouldn't have had to waste her time with him just because he couldn't do anything right. No matter how good he felt around her, the fact that he needed her to make life bearable was just more evidence that he didn't belong.

 _"_ _How come a fairy hasn't come to you yet? Are you sick?" Fado asked with genuine concern, back when she and the others were more tolerant of him. He didn't look at her, too ashamed to admit that he didn't know what was wrong with him._

 _"_ _Don't worry, Link," a beautiful green-haired girl soothed. "You'll get a fairy someday. And until then, you'll always have me!"_

 _He stared at Saria in awe. For some reason, his heart started beating more quickly. Moments like these made him think that maybe life wasn't so bad..._

...But he didn't deserve her, just like he didn't deserve a fairy. Tears burning his eyes, Link lashed out with a fist at Mido's face, knocking him to the ground and taking the Kokiri sword.

"S-Stay back!" Link ordered, trying his best to look tough as he held a weapon he had no experience with. It didn't work, and he ran when the know-it-all brothers lunged at him.

He had always wanted to be included in the others' games of chase, he thought woefully, but not like this. His legs were slightly longer than those of his pursuers, but his arm just wouldn't cooperate. It didn't matter for long, because suddenly he stood before the giant hollowed-out log which marked the end of the forest, the gate which no Kokiri had ever crossed. Turning around, he found that all three boys had caught up to him. The brothers held ropes, and Mido—now sporting a black eye—was furious.

"You have nowhere to run, monster! Give up, for good of the village. If you let us tie you up, this will be a lot less painful."

Link felt like a cornered animal, wounded and frightened while people with weapons closed in on him. Knowing there was going to be more pain for him if he gave in, he did the only thing his panicked mind could think of.

"What are you doing?!" one of them yelled, but Link didn't listen. He turned his back on everything and everyone he had ever known and ran to the light at the end of the log tunnel.

Mido and the others could only watch and yell, none daring enough to follow. Once he disappeared from the forest, they waited in silence, horrified by what they had caused to happen until the brothers found their voices.

"Wh-What are we going to do?! The Great Deku Tree said any Kokiri who goes out there dies!"

"I know that!" Mido snapped. "Just...let me think."

He would have no time to do so, however, because at that moment a new voice arrived at the scene. "Link? Where are you?"

Mido's stomach plummeted. Usually he was thrilled to see the green-haired girl, but not when he looked like a bad guy.

"Guys, where's Link?" she asked. Surely they had heard his scream. "What are you doing with those ropes?"

Mido took a step back. "U-Um, well, funny story..."

"We're sorry!" the others blurted, falling onto all fours and bowing before her. "Please forgive us!"

 _"_ _Wimps,"_ Mido thought.

"For what? What did you do?"

"Link...Link is...He's out there!" one of them yelled, pointing through the log while looking away.

Saria stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"We're sorry! He's gone! We didn't mean for this to happen!"

The know-it-all brothers bawled loudly, but Saria couldn't process what was happening. "You're saying...he's dead? He can't be! I heard him scream not two minutes ago! Where is he?" Her eyes narrowed at Mido. "What did you do?"

"We only wanted to make sure he couldn't hurt anyone!" the leader said defensively. "He's getting way too big for a Kokiri, and we thought he was turning into a Stalfos. Look what he did to my eye!"

"Mido, you just _killed_ someone! No one cares about your eye!" Saria snapped before her words registered. "Link's dead... He's dead... Oh, Farore..."

Her best friend, the person she cared about most, was gone. Falling to her knees, she threw her head back and let out a pain-filled scream as Link had. Her days of playing with him were over. She'd never get to comfort him when the others bullied him too much, never see him smile or see the day when he finally received a fairy and stood beside her as an equal. He'd told her once how much her friendship meant to him; now she'd never get to tell him how much he meant to her.

The Kokiri had never experience loss like this. Saria felt as though part of her had been ripped out. She kept waiting for someone to tell her it was a joke or she was dreaming, but the best she got was Mido's hand on her shoulder, which she shook off bitterly. By the time the rest of the village emerged from their homes to see what the fuss was about, her rage had given to sorrow, and she let her friends hold her as she sobbed.


	2. Strange Beginnings, Part 2

Few trees littered the landscape beyond his home. Link had never seen the sky so open, but he was too busy making sure no one followed him to appreciate it. He still heard Mido's shouts in his mind.

 _"You coward! Come back here!"_

No. They'd kill him, he thought as he ran faster. At least out here his fate was uncertain.

His small body couldn't sustain the damage inflicted on it, and soon he tripped over his overworked legs, wincing as the ground rose to meet him and tossed dirt into his wounded shoulder. With a hiss of pain, he picked himself up, but even his good arm didn't want to cooperate. He'd heard stories of warriors in Hyrule dying from their wounds. Was he dying too? Was that why he felt so weak?

"Saria," he whimpered, wishing she were here to clean his cuts like she had when he was little, but after today he knew better than to think that anyone, even a girl as nice as her, could fix him or make him feel like he belonged. He replayed in his mind every instance when a Kokiri bullied or ignored him and wondered why it had surprised him when it finally escalated to attempted murder. It was what he deserved for being a burden to her. It had been coming his entire life.

A scream startled him, and at first he feared that Mido had followed him. What he saw at the base of the hill he was on didn't make him feel any safer, however.

He couldn't believe the size of the red-haired woman—she was a giant, surely twice his height! She sat atop an enormous animal with an elongated head until it bucked her off and fled. The woman fell to the ground, her long hair falling over her face, and backed away on all fours from a furry beast which snarled at her.

Link immediately recognized it as a wolfos. They had become a problem in the forest recently, and that seemed to be the case in the outside world as well.

His anger at the day's events returned. She was being cornered just like Mido and the other Kokiri had cornered him. Holding the Kokiri Sword with his good arm, he leapt down the hill, letting gravity do the work since his legs didn't want to cooperate.

"Hiyaaa!" he cried, swinging the blade down as he landed between the woman and creature. When it took a menacing step toward him, Link stabbed forward and nicked its face. The woflos only sported a small cut on its cheek, but true to its cowardly nature, it howled and whimpered in pain like a domestic pup before lowering its tail and running away.

"Thank you. I thought I was going to die. Who are you?" a voice asked from behind, and he spun around, falling pathetically in the process as she stood to her full height.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

His attempt to move away from her was unsuccessful, the use of his arm finally gone. He shut his eyes and protected his face with the blade, leaving the woman he rescued to stare at him in confusion.

Marin Lon didn't understand. The boy didn't fear wolfos, but he was scared of her? "It's okay, honey. I won't hurt you."

Link didn't believe her; she was big, and she was closing in on him just as Mido and the other Kokiri had. That changed with her next words, however.

"Oh no! The wolfos didn't give you that wound! How did you get it?"

The pain had faded into a dull throb, surely another sign that he was dying. Faced with memories of running from the know-it-all brothers, he couldn't speak as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He was nothing but a wounded animal. Whether he was killed by her, by Mido, or by the magic outside the forest no longer mattered to him, and he didn't fight her approach.

"You're awfully young to be out here alone. Let's go somewhere we can make you all better."

Despite her size, she seemed to have trouble lifting him, grunting and breathing heavily and almost dropping him. He tried to kick out in fear at being raised three feet off the ground, but had no energy to struggle with after running and bleeding all day. As his consciousness dimmed, however, he thought something felt familiar about the way she held him close, cradling his body against her.

Marin located her horse and set the boy on top of it, having to rest and cough for a few minutes before she climbed up as well. Link drifted in and out as she held him to keep him from falling, knowing little but the comfort of his "captor" until the horse trotted up to a large walled-in structure at the center of a giant field.

"This is my home, Lon Lon Ranch. Honey?" she asked, but the bundle of warmth in her arms had gone limp.

"MAAAARRRRIIIIINN!" a voice called the moment she came within sight of the ranch, and a balding middle aged man ran out to her. "You've been missing for hours! Mal and I were worried sick! Where—"

"I'm fine, but—" She paused to hold her side, which was bruised from the fall she took. "This boy needs help."

"Boy? Where did you find him?"

"I'll explain later. Get the blue potion from the cellar."

Talon Lon frowned. It was true that he kept a bottle of potion for emergencies, but it was expensive, and he hadn't built Hyrule's most successful ranch by giving to everyone who needed something. "Shouldn't we take him to Castle Town? They can take care of him there for cheaper."

"His arm is infected." Talon still frowned, and she looked at him with all the tenderness she could muster. "He saved my life."

Instantly the man's demeanor changed, and he dashed to the storage building. No matter how thrifty he was, his wife's well-being was priceless to him.

Marin used the time he was gone to dismount her horse and lead it into the barn. Talon came in after her, and together they removed the unconscious boy's green tunic and cleaned his shoulder, tilting his jaw up so he could swallow the medicine.

"He saved your life?" Talon repeated incredulously.

"A wolfos tried to attack me, but he scared it off, even though he was already injured."

"Are you sure it was a wolfos? No one's seen one of them in our lifetimes, far as I can tell. I thought they were just myths."

"Mommy, daddy, who's that?" asked a young voice, and the couple was grateful they were able to make the stranger more presentable and less frightening before their daughter wandered in.

"He'll be staying with us for a while, pumpkin."

"Did he really save you, Momma? Is he a knight?" Malon Lon asked.

Talon chuckled; they'd been reading her too many bedtime stories. "Maybe."

When Link awoke, the first feeling he knew was fear. In front of him was the biggest person he'd ever seen, impossibly tall with a large belly and hair on his face. "Ah!" he gasped and instinctively cuddled against Marin.

Talon laughed, making his stomach bounce. "There's nothing to be scared of, son. Name's Talon. This is my ranch. My wife Marin says you've been through a lot. You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need."

Link dared another look at him. The balding man's smile seemed genuine, and before his doubts could resurface, a small pair of arms circled him.

"Thank you for saving Momma, mister knight!" Malon cheered.

The boy from the forest couldn't believe how tiny the arms that circled him were. She looked as small as he had been a few years ago, when Saria still had to take care of him. Would this little girl grow to be as big as the two giants? It was then that he noticed something else.

"Your ears are long like mine."

"Of course. All Hylians have long ears," Marin answered easily.

"B-But I'm not a Hylian! I'm a Kokiri!" Link protested, Had Mido been right every time he pushed Link around, claiming the blonde wasn't a real Kokiri?

"Sorry, son, but you're definitely not. The way I understand it, those folks can't leave their home without dying."

New tears gushed from his eyes. So it was true: he would never be part of the forest. Sensing an imminent breakdown, Talon shooed his daughter outside, and once she was gone, Link raised his arms over his face in self-defense.

"P-Please don't hurt me."

"Now honey, why would we do that?"

He sniffled. "Because...I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster," Marin cooed. "You're a very special boy."

He looked up at her with wide, vulnerable eyes. "Really?"

"Mm-hm." Lifting him and supporting him like an infant, she let him rest against her, cradling his head against her bosom. Link could only soak in the comfort and let the realization that he wasn't a freak like the Kokiri said sink in as he bawled anew.

* * *

 _Blizzaga Saga_ : Everything will not magically be better for Link now; this is sadly only a temporary relief for our hero. As I mentioned in the summary, the incident in chapter one will dramatically affect the decisions he makes and therefore his future.

You may be wondering why Talon's personality seems different from his game counterpart's or why Malon is younger than Link. All will be revealed in the coming chapters. Yes, in this universe Malon's mom isn't dead, but is instead saved by Link. I'm having fun making things different but still similar to the Ocarina of Time universe we all love.

Thank you for reading, and I hope the story continues to entertain.


	3. Strange Beginnings, Part 3

Talon was relieved when Link cried himself to sleep in Marin's arms before he could finish the milk and bread they gave him. He could probably sell the leftovers on his next trip to Castle Town.

"What were you thinking, taking off by yourself?" he asked his wife furiously once they tucked the boy into bed and slipped outside.

Marin bristled, having known this conversation was coming. "I can't stay here all the time. You married a woman who wants to see the world."

His eyes softened. He could never stay mad at her for long, and he hated how gaunt her cheeks looked when anger stretched the skin across her bones. "Darlin', please, you know you're not well enough to travel. If you had—"

"I didn't," she snapped, and he fell silent.

It was nearly suppertime when Link woke. The whole family gathered around him, and he backed away from them as far as the bed would allow, holding a blanket around himself as though it would protect him.

"Wh-Where did you put my sword?" Were they going to use it to cut him like Mido had done?

Marin smiled reassuringly. "It's in the other room. Little boys shouldn't carry weapons, after all. Do you feel better?" He nodded hesitantly, and Marin approached him. "How is your arm?"

"Don't!" he shouted before she could touch his shoulder, trying to glare at her despite his fear. He felt better, but no matter what, he would never let others touch him there again.

"Okay, I won't. We're just trying to help. Can you tell us what you were doing when you found me? Where are your parents?"

Link tilted his head in confusion. "What are parents?"

"Your mother and father," Talon elaborated. "The people who gave birth—er, made you. When a Hylian man and woman love each other very much, they have children, like Marin and I have Malon." Talon picked up the little girl, causing her to giggle.

"Hee hee! Stop it, Daddy!"

Link grew angry at the display and shrank into his cloth armor. They looked so happy, like nothing was wrong with the world. He didn't think he'd ever been as carefree as Malon. Still, if Talon and Marin wouldn't hurt someone Malon's size, maybe they wouldn't hurt him either.

"The Great Deku Tree made all the Kokiri. But...if I'm not a Kokiri...do I have a mom and dad too?"

"Maybe," Marin replied, not wanting to get his hopes up. "How did you come to be in the forest? Did you get lost?"

"I've been there as long as I can remember. I bet the Great Deku Tree knows!" he announced before his stomach sank. If he wanted to learn about his parents or why he had been picked on his whole life...

The memory of tears blurring his vision as he ran for his life caused fresh ones to fall. He held his shoulder protectively, though the potion had healed it.

"No. I can't go back," he whimpered.

"It's okay, sweetie. You don't have to."

"...I don't?" he asked in confusion.

Talon knew what his wife was thinking and sent her a look that said "No", but Link spoke before that argument could start.

"No...I do. I want to know about my parents, and I want to see my friend Saria again."

The green-haired girl had been the only consistently good thing in his life. Her smile, the smile she saved just for him, was the only thing that made him feel like he had any value in a village content with pretending he didn't exist, and lately playing with her had filled him with a strange excitement that made his heart beat more quickly even when he wasn't running.

"Anything we can learn about your family will be helpful. I'll go to the forest with you," offered Talon. "Can't have the Kokiri attacking you again."

Link shook his head. "You're too big. That's why they attacked me, and I don't want you to get hurt because of me." While he considered everyone's relative sizes, he looked between the adults. "How come you're so much bigger than Marin?"

Talon guffawed. "It's called being fat. Don't worry about it. How will you get to the Deku Tree safely then?"

"I'll get stronger so Mido won't be able to hurt me again."

The pain in his eyes worried Marin, but before she could speak Talon said, "I know a woman who can teach you to defend yourself. I'll take you to her tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mister Talon."

Marin didn't share his cheer. "Link, why don't you take Malon outside to play?"

"Play? You mean like, tag?" he asked, stunned.

"Yay! You're it, mister knight!" Malon announced and pulled the confused boy away by the hand, not often getting to play with others. Once they were alone, Marin chastised her husband.

"What are you thinking? He needs love right now, not more violence."

Talon shook his head. "He'd dealing with a lot of anger. It will be good for him to channel it into something positive, and we'll still be able to care for him while he does. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find his parents, if they're alive."

Marin didn't feel right about it, but felt she had no right to object after running away. "I'm sorry for worrying you," she said quietly.

"I'm just glad you're safe. Let's worry about the boy for now and talk about this later."

When they left the building, Link saw an enormous stone structure in the distance that he hadn't noticed in his half-conscious state yesterday. "What is that?"

"That's the castle where the king and queen live," little Malon chirped.

"That's someone's house?! Are the king and queen giants?"

"No, but they're really important. Everyone in Hyrule has to listen to them."

None of what she was saying made sense. In Kokiri Village, everyone's house was the same size—even Saria's, and she was far more important than anyone else, at least to him.

"There's also a princess. Mom and Dad say she's the same age as me! But her garden isn't as pretty as the one Daddy planted for Momma!"

Link couldn't believe how cheerful and friendly she was as she wrapped her tiny hand around his finger and pulled him to the other side of the ranch. Why didn't she hate or ignore him like so many others?

Smiling for the first time since leaving the forest, he followed her, and his smile immediately fell. Animals even larger than the wolfos roamed the field, their elongated snouts big enough to chomp his arm off.

To his horror, Malon ran under one of them. He reached out with a cry but was too late to save her, but instead of hearing her scream from being trampled, he merely heard someone grumble.

"Silly girl. You should be with your mother," a man remarked sourly. He looked like he could be Talon's brother, only taller and less "fat" with facial hair shaped like lightning bolts. A glare completed his frightening appearance, which didn't change even when Malon asked,

"How are you, Mr. Ingo?"

"Oh, just great," he said sarcastically. "Talon cuts my wages whenever he wants, but everything's swell and... You're gone already," he sighed.

Malon continued guiding Link, petting the animals they crossed on the way. Feeling useless, Link watched her interact with them, ready to interfere should any try to attack her. She may have trusted them, but he decided it was best not to trust anything after what happened in the forest.

They crawled under a wooden fence which kept animals out, and the colors he saw froze him with awe. "What is this?" he asked. Flowers bloomed from the soil, but unlike in the forest, different kinds grew together: tall and short, red and white, purple and yellow.

"Momma gets sick easily and can't travel, so Daddy brings flowers from all over Hyrule for her." Link bent down to touch one of them, and she pushed his arm with all her strength. "We're not supposed to touch them! Daddy says they're very delicate."

He furrowed his brow. In the forest, every plant had a purpose for playing or eating. Nothing existed just to look pretty, but he obeyed his host.

At length she declared she was hungry and they went back to the house, where a meal of meat Link had never tasted before waited for him.

"I've never had food this good before!"

"Makes sense. You've never tasted Marin's cooking. Eat up, son. You'll need energy tomorrow if you want to get stronger."

Everyone here seemed so nice, and he regretted snapping at Marin earlier. He thought about it for the rest of the night, long after Talon and Marin put him in a bed that was much too big for him. The blankets were softer than he was used to, and they coaxed him into a gentle sleep that was interrupted by a feminine voice.

"Wake up, Link. You must be used to sleeping late. Talon already has the wagon ready."

Link boarded the large wooden structure with the ranch owner warily, still expecting the "horses" (as the family called them) to either run away or attack them. Eying them and holding the Kokiri Sword the whole time, he was surprised when they faithfully led the pair to a great stone wall and an enormous wooden structure that carried them over a stream dozens of times wider than the stream in Kokiri Forest.

"Good morning, Talon!" a man greeted, and Link finally turned away from the threats on four legs. His eyes widened at the incredible number of gigantic people walking around on stone streets. Most seemed busy, but some waved to each other and greeted Talon, who smiled and greeted them back.

Was this what life outside the forest was like? Open space, friendly people, and families? The family who healed him had shown him nothing but kindness, and his heart pounded. Were his "parents" somewhere in this big new world, waiting for him to find them?

The wagon traveled beyond the crowds until the stone structures gave way to a path to the castle. Here men gave Talon stoic nods of acknowledgement rather than warm greetings, and Link stared in awe at their metal outfits and weapons, their spears longer than he was tall.

"This here's the barracks," Talon said. "Knights train here, but so does a woman who's stronger than all of them. Hello there, Impa!"

A Hylian taller than even Talon turned to regard them. Link was struck by her piercing red eyes, silver hair, and paint that made it look like she had a vertical gash through her left eye.

"I don't suppose you're here to give me money," she stated neutrally. "I could use some kunai."

He laughed. "Not till the end of the month. This here's Link. He was chased out of the forest by the Kokiri, but he needs to go back in. Can you teach him self-defense?"

She raised an eyebrow at the story, but looked like she didn't care quite enough to ask about it. "Sure."

"Also...my wife says she saw a wolfos," he said less happily.

This caught her interest. "A wolfos? Are you sure?"

"I wasn't there, but that's what my wife says."

A pause. Then, "I'll look into it. No beast will attack your home on my watch."

"I appreciate it. I'll come back tomorrow for him. Be good for Miss Impa and do everything she says, y'hear? She's a great woman."

Talon left and Link looked to her expectantly, but she only stared at him, looking more severe as the seconds passed. He felt like she was peering into his soul and judging him with her sharp eyes, and he wanted to shrink as she appeared bigger and bigger, her toned muscles visible beneath her skin-tight sleeves.

Finally she said, "You have suffered much."

"Y-Yes," he answered, not asking how she knew that.

"What are you going to do about it? Do you have the courage to change, or will you stay a wimp?"

His fear vanished, and he angrily replied, "I'm not a wimp."

She scoffed. "Before you can grow strong, you must realize you are weak."

"I'm the strongest person in my village!"

"A village of midgets," she countered easily.

"I chased off the wolfos Talon was talking about!"

"Wolfos are cowards that flee at the first sign of danger. It must have mistaken you for a threat."

She smirked, reminding him of Mido, and something within him snapped. She hadn't even attacked him and he already felt cornered as he had against the group of boys. He couldn't argue her points, and feeling once more the helplessness he experienced in the forest, he let his anger surface.

Never again. Her arrogant expression and stance seemed to invite him to run at her, and he obliged.


	4. Strange Beginnings, Part 4

_Blizzaga Saga_ : I promised myself that I would limit each chapter in this fic to 2000 words or less to keep from stressing out since this isn't a super-intense story, but it just didn't feel right to cut this short. WHY CAN'T I KEEP MY PROMISES TO MYSELF?!

This is the second-to-last chapter in the "Strange Beginnings" arc. Impa is not Zelda's nursemaid in this alternate universe! I hope you'll like what I've done with her character.

* * *

"Come on, let's play!" Malon whined, jumping up and down as though it would make Link do the same.

He'd trained with Impa every day since his first visit, when she picked him up by the collar and threw him across the room like he was nothing. His arms and legs ached as he lay in bed. He didn't mind the lesson that he was weak—Impa made him stronger every time they met—but being exhausted meant he could do nothing but think, and his thoughts always came back to Saria. Knowing he couldn't see her until he became stronger tortured him; every day he was torn between wanting to go to the forest for her immediately and fear that he wasn't strong enough to escape death a second time.

Impa said becoming stronger meant training, so Link stood at last and decided to do some training which Malon could help with. "I'll race you to the garden."

"Yay!" Malon cheered, running out the door, but when Link went outside she changed her mind and started skipping instead, bound by neither rules nor worries. He smiled at her ever-changing playfulness and skipped with her, finding it hard to be mad about the lost running opportunity.

They passed sturdy fences and fields of green. Everything at the ranch was so pretty, so well cared for. Even the animals helped maintain order by chewing the grass in place of cutting it, as if they respected the Lons too much to do otherwise. Though Link still thought he belonged with Saria and that she was the only one who would want him around, part of him wanted to live here, carefree like Malon.

Marin looked like an angel at the garden, he decided. Her red hair shone in the sunlight, bright like the flowers blooming around her, like she'd never been touched. Still, something Link couldn't describe seemed off about the image her curls and white dress tried to convey.

"Miss Marin," he said, having been taught to address her this way, "did you eat breakfast this morning?"

"Yes, Link. Why do you ask?"

"Then how come you're thinner than all the women in Castle Town?"

"It's impolite to ask women about their weight," she answered with a smile that he noticed took some effort. Her hand went to her heart. "Ah...I'm not feeling too well. Can I get a hug?"

Both children happily obliged, latching onto her from opposite sides, and the woman decided Link would make a fine son—a bit of a momma's boy, perhaps, but very sweet.

"Malon, why don't you and Link greet your father? He should be back any moment."

"Okay. I'll bring your medicine real fast. I'll race you for real this time, Link!"

He ran with her, being patient with how short the toddler's legs were, until they reached the gate that protected the ranch from the outside world.

"Mom says she wants to go on an adventure outside the ranch one day, so I do too. Will you take me, Mister Knight?"

He frowned. An adventure? All he wanted was a home where he belonged, where people welcomed him and didn't want to hurt him, which was why, when Talon arrived, Link's first words were,

"Did you find anything about my family?"

The portly man gestured to the empty wagon. "I sold everything I brought, so I talked to a lot of people. Sorry, but no one I've met so far knows anything about a missing couple with a son named Link."

Link was undeterred. "What about the king? Or the princess? Do they know?"

"I didn't ask them."

"Why not? You said the princess is wise for her age," Malon protested.

"That's what the castle folk say, but that doesn't mean she knows everything. Besides, you can't just march up to the royal family and ask them questions. Anyway, here ya go, Malon. Get this to your mother." He handed her a potion in a glass bottle and sent her away. "Ya ready, Link?"

He answered by filling the wagon with more salted meats for Talon to sell and climbed in. Usually he was intimidated by the size of Hyrule Field when the horses moved and the carriage rolled, but today he stared determinedly ahead.

"You can drop me off here, Mr. Talon," he offered when they arrived at the spot in Castle Town where Talon set up shop.

"You sure you can get to Impa by yourself?"

"Yes. The walk will be a good stretch before she makes me work."

His mustache frowned. Part of him knew it was dangerous to leave a kid alone, but... "All right. That'll give me time to help Marin with something. Be safe."

Thanking him, Link slipped through the crowd of people looking to buy their food for the day. When he arrived at the path Talon took him to get to the barracks, however, he turned and took a different route. He resisted the urge to panic as an old giant approached him and told himself that no one was going to hurt him. He hadn't done anything wrong yet.

"Hey kid, I haven't eaten all day. Can you spare some rupees?"

Still unused to the Hylian idea of exchanging rupees for food, Link fumbled a reply. "Sorry, mister. I don't have any."

Taking his uncertain tone to mean that he was lying, the man glared. "Don't have any, my ass. I see you ride in with that scum Talon every day. That filth takes advantage of his monopoly on cattle products to keep us poor while he hoards money."

"What does your ass have to do with anything?" Link asked with narrowed eyes. "And Talon's a good person! He takes care of me."

The man laughed contemptuously. "Privileged whelp. The city's no place for you."

The man walked off, and those who witnessed the exchange looked at Link with suspicion. Link averted his gaze, feeling ashamed for some reason. Everyone had seemed warm and friendly while Talon was with him.

He was relieved when he took the dirt path to the castle and saw only one other person. A man with a steel helm which hid his eyes stood between Link and his destination, rigid and unyielding like the metal gate behind him.

"Halt. State your business."

"Um...I want to see the princess."

The guard's impassive expression didn't change. "Funny. Unfortunately for you, Hyrule's soldiers have no sense of humor."

"I'm not joking. Zelda has—"

" _Princess_ Zelda," the man corrected him, causing Link to shrink into himself.

"Sorry... Princess Zelda is really wise, right? Maybe she can tell me where—"

"Go back to your parents."

"That's who I'm trying—"

"I'm authorized to use force on anyone who approaches," he interrupted, pointing a spear at him. Getting the message, Link left the way he came, but he stopped once he rounded the corner and was out of the man's line of sight.

He couldn't just give up. The castle was right there. He was so close! And what if his mom and dad were in trouble?

Gathering his courage, he grabbed onto some vines and pulled himself up the steep hill which hid the two males from each other, mentally thanking Saria for teaching him how to climb. He used his small size to his advantage and stayed low to the ground as he topped the hill, eventually making it past the guard and the gate unseen. The castle drawbridge neared, and he broke into a sprint, only to stop when a deep masculine voice called out,

"Halt! Thief!"

The voice scared him just long enough for its owner to grab him by the arm. He gritted his teeth and tried to twist free. "I'm not a thief!"

The soldier—big like Talon but full of muscle instead of fat—grinned mockingly. "The rags you wear say otherwise. Do you have any idea where you stand? The finest men and women in Hyrule are inside that castle, and we knights outside are hand-picked from among the gentile, elite fighters. Peasants have no place here."

"I don't want to live here. I just want to find my parents."

The man laughed, and Link saw cruel mirth in his eyes; he wore no helm, as though he wanted everyone to know who he was. "Another orphan with dreams that his mommy and daddy might live in the castle?"

"Why would I want my parents to live near scum like you?" Link hissed, and all humor left the man.

"Such rudeness to your superior..."

Link wasn't sure what "superior" meant, but he was pretty sure he'd made a mistake. Still holding the boy, the taller one spun him around and bent both arms behind him painfully, pinning him in place. Link cried out as a heavy boot crushed the back of his leg.

He nearly fell, but the knight's powerful arms kept him on his feet. Link seethed; he'd been weak against the Kokiri and Impa, and he was still weak. He'd learned his lesson from the tall woman, though, and didn't speak or try to attack. Gripping Link's hand tightly so he wouldn't escape, the knight escorted him back to the gate, not slowing down for the limping boy.

"Another rat tried to sneak in."

The guard at the gate, who had already seen Link once, grimaced as though the sight of the boy disgusted him. "I told you to leave," he snarled before thrusting the butt of his spear into the blonde's stomach, causing him to fall to his knees and then into the dirt. Link saw stars and gasped for air, but picked himself up as soon as he was able and scurried away as quickly as he could with an injured foot. The serious guard said nothing, but the talkative one laughed in delight.

His eyes watered as the wind rushed by, but he refused to cry, dedicating every thought to growing stronger. The stares he received in the market fueled his rage, and though no one thought to help him, he trudged onward.

The trip to Impa's modest home took a long time and made his injury worse. Impa saw his swollen ankle but didn't mention it, expecting him to break down and cry about how much it hurt, but to her surprise he smiled and said,

"Thank you for teaching me, Miss Impa. I really appreciate you helping me get tougher."

The pupil in her left eye, surrounded by orange war paint, dilated and then shrank back to normal. He had spirit. He could be a good kid, she thought, but he also had a lot of anger. She wondered if his actions after he earned the strength he sought would come to define him.

"Drop the 'Miss'."

"But Miss Marin said that wouldn't be polite."

"Many Hylians believe women are weak. The knights label me 'Miss' to kid themselves into thinking I'm not a threat to them."

His eyes widened. "But you're so strong! How would calling you something change that?" He paused. "What so you want me to call you?"

"I am Impa, last of the Sheikah."

"What are Sheikah? Are they knights?"

The narrowing of her eyes told him that he'd made a mistake again. Luckily, she didn't attack him as the stranger had. "The Sheikah are a proud race that helped the Hylian royal family keep Hyrule safe for generations. They did their duty until the last king killed all of them but me."

"O-Oh. I—"

She cut him off, not wanting pity or an apology. "So no, I am not a knight. The knights serve the king. I'm here to make sure the king acts in the interest of his people. If he ever betrays this kingdom like his father betrayed my people, I will kill him. He knows this and has tried to kill me with everything from assassins to poison. Talon pays for my lodging and supplies me with food that is safe to eat. He's the only one I trust to do this because he is just like me."

Link compared the two in his head. "Um...you're not fat, though. Or bald. Or short. And your nose isn't big and round."

She resisted the urge to smile. "I meant that like me, he dedicates himself to one thing. Surely you've noticed."

He nodded. "The people in the city seem mad at him for having more money than them."

"He amasses wealth so he can give his wife the best life possible. For her, he'll do anything. He knows I'm stronger than any soldier, so he gives me what I need to survive in exchange for protection for her." She gave him a serious look. "Boy...you must know that he won't accept you into his home. There is only room in his heart for the women already in it."

Link wilted. He had suspected as much, but hearing it out loud meant he wasn't just imagining it. "I know. He doesn't pay attention to me when I'm around, like he knows I'll be gone soon. But that's okay, because I have a mom and dad waiting for me somewhere!"

Impa kept her expression neutral and changed the subject. "What happened to your leg?"

"Huh? Uh...what leg?" he asked, cursing his stupidity.

Impa closed her eyes and sighed; children were so bad at lying. Better than working with a manipulator, she supposed.

"Since you won't care for yourself, we'll forgo strength training today. You'll become naturally stronger than the Kokiri as you grow bigger, anyway, so instead you will focus on learning how to fight. After a month with me, I believe you'll be able to make it to your forest friend."

His face lit up in childish glee, and she wondered how long it would take for the world to crush the spirit and optimism she sensed earlier. He had his hopes set so high for this mission, for his parents.

It happened sooner than she expected. Link surprised her by taking a step back in fear, putting her between him and a new arrival.

"You, Sheikah," the man said. "You're protecting the ranch, right? There have been wolfos sightings on the west side. Take care of it."

He wore full armor but no helm so everyone could see his aristocratic features: short brown hair, a strong chin, and a clean-shaven face with an expression of self-importance. After he gave his order, the knight noticed Link, and when she probed the noble's aura with her left eye, she understood Link's fear. The aristocrat was smug, swelling with male pride at the sight of the boy, and she reconsidered Link's injury.

"Take care of the little one. He is so clumsy. He must have fallen down some stairs," he said haughtily and turned to leave, but Impa's voice stopped him.

"You, knight. Touch this child again, and I will break you."

"You and what army? Your dead race?" he asked with a smirk. Link widened his eyes and stepped back even further for safety. He was smarter than she thought. "You are allowed to live here due to the grace of our king and the knights of Hyrule. Never forget that."

In an instant the tall woman crossed the distance to the door and grabbed him by the back of his armor. The shocked man let out a yelp as he was thrown against the wall. Link marveled at her strength; she threw the knight as easily as she had thrown Link a week ago.

Her red eyes glowed with hatred as the brunette stood into a defensive position. "I have been too merciful with your kind."

"You dare assault a kni—aargh!"

Her fingers crushed his arm through the spot on his elbow that his armor didn't cover. "The knights are meant to protect people, not lord over them. They've forgotten this, and now I have to make an example of you."

"You dog! I—"

She displayed her strength again by taking the long Naginata on her back and swinging it through his legs to knock him off his feet. She held it in front of herself, spinning the massive weapon at speeds Link had thought impossible, and the knight was too scared of the rod to do anything in retaliation.

With a yell, she brought the blunt end of the staff down on his knee and smirked through his screams. Link sank to the ground, making himself as small as possible, for despite what she said about duty, she looked like she enjoyed his pain.

"Dog? You're the one on all fours." The man with the shattered knee shouted until he was red in the face and directed his enraged expression at Impa, but she spoke first. "If you say one more word, I'll break the other leg." He bit his lip, letting wordless cries of anguish blow past it, and suddenly Link held no more resentment toward the suffering man. Link didn't understand. Was this...right? "Keep your 'honor' if you wish and hide the fact that you were beaten by a woman, or you can report me and let everyone know what I'm capable of. Either way, remember that the Sheikah are watching you. Remove yourself from my presence."

The once able-bodied man glared and crawled painfully away, and after shutting the door behind him, the silver-haired woman noticed Link staring at her in fright with his back against the wall.

"You have nothing to fear from me so long as you never use the strength you earn during our training to take advantage of others. Do I make myself clear?"

Link nodded, trusting her even though his heart raced at the sight of her, for in the end she had protected him. "Y-Yes. How did you know he hurt me? Do your red eyes let you read minds?"

Something like that, she thought with amusement. "You're not as good at lying as you think, just like you're not as strong as you think."

"If I train hard, will I be strong like you one day?" he asked, mind reeling at the possibility.

"Maybe, but maybe not. There's no way to know how much potential you have, but if you train, you can always improve."

Link absorbed her words, her movements, and her lack of mercy like a sponge. This was the first time he'd seen her fight, and now he knew what he should aim for.

"Does wearing clothes like yours make you stronger?" he asked his new role model, studying the functional battle gear that didn't show off her feminine figure like Marin's dress did. "Is that why you don't dress like other women?"

She laughed disdainfully. "I don't dress like a delicate flower, because delicate flowers are trampled by people who don't care."

Her words stunned him, and he pondered them on the trip back to Lon Lon Ranch. He'd done little but get trampled since he left the forest, and unlike flowers, he didn't even look presentable. His Kokiri tunic was falling apart, much like his life.

"I'm worthless," he realized out loud as he and Marin sat together in the garden.

"No you're not. Remember what I told you when you saved me? You're a very special boy."

"I don't feel special. Everyone I meet hates me or attacks me."

"Life is hard, sweetie. I wish I could make it easy for you, but you have to be strong, much stronger than I am."

At that he cheered up. "I will! I'll be strong like Impa! She broke a man's leg today!"

"She WHAT?!" Having never heard the gentle woman raise her voice, Link flinched away from her. "Help me up, honey. I need to have a talk with Talon."

He obeyed, pulling her onto her skinny shaking legs, and soon she and Talon yelled at each other inside the stable, where they thought their voices were muffled. Malon came running to him from the house.

"I heard Momma yelling!" she exclaimed, and they listened in confusion.

"Link doesn't need to see these kinds of things! He'll grow up thinking that violence is the answer to everything."

"Now honey, I know she's not perfect, but she's teaching him valuable skills like throwing knives—"

"Knives?!"

"Why are you so surprised?" the ranch owner asked, annoyed. "Do you think he can defend himself by being nice?"

Link turned to see Malon smiling and humming. "Aren't you worried?"

She shook her head. "Momma says we should be grateful for bad things, because they remind us of how good we have it."

He thought about what she said for several moments before hugging her, and she squealed. "Ah! Link's trying to get me!" she cried dramatically and laughed as she ran away, and he gave chase.

He'd been beaten and cut and nearly lost an arm. He found out his entire life as a Kokiri was a lie and was demonized by the only people he knew. But he could still smile at moments like these, and he figured that was better than nothing.

That thought held him together for the next month until the day before his scheduled journey back to the forest. Marin held Link in her left arm and Malon in her right. Both children extended their fingers one by one.

"One, two, three, four, five. I'm five years old," Malon said proudly.

"Very good, honey. Link, how old are you?"

Kokiri didn't have birthdays and no one aged in the forest, so he never knew his age. Now, though, with the skills Marin had taught him, he recalled that five summers had passed that he could remember, and Saria said he'd been through four before that.

"I'm nine."

"Good," praised Marin, happy that Link was learning something other than fighting. "You're both growing so big and strong."

She let him cuddle with her, understanding his desire to be coddled since he'd never had anyone to do these things with, but Talon's expression cast a shadow over them when he returned from his latest business trip.

"Mal, I need you to help Ingo. He's in a bad mood and could use your help."

Even the little girl seemed to sense something wrong, but she did as she was told. "What is it, dear?" asked Marin once only the couple and Link remained.

He sighed. "Link...I found out who your parents were."

"Were?" he repeated, his heart sinking.

"Yes. You have no living relatives. I'm afraid no one's claimed guardianship of you."

The blonde looked up at the woman he hugged. "Will you be my momma, Miss Marin?"

Her heart broke. He was even smaller than her, too small to have to endure what she was about to tell him. "I'm sorry, honey. You need someone who can give you the attention you need. I'm weak, so weak, and Talon is too busy helping me."

"When you come back from the forest, I'll take you to the orphanage."

"What's an orphanage?"

"It's a place where people without parents go to be taken care of."

A place for people nobody wanted, then. "Can I call you Mommy, just for today?"

Disapproval was written on Talon's face, but Marin ignored it. "Sure, sweetie."

Link tightened his hold on her midsection. Hugging her had always made him feel better before, but now the gesture felt empty and offered no security. He didn't belong here, or anywhere. He should have realized it sooner. Maybe he could still belong with Saria, though. Was his best friend okay? Did she think he was dead? Would she still accept him once she found out he was a Hylian?

Would he have to fight Mido and the know-it-all brothers? Should he punish them like Impa would? Part of him really wanted to make them suffer, the way Mido had made him suffer his whole life. Even a month after his exile, his blood still boiled at the injustice of their attempt to kill him. But Marin wouldn't want him to hurt anyone...

He didn't know where he would end up or what was right, but tomorrow would make everything better, he told himself as he held the last bit of warmth Lon Lon Ranch had to offer him. It had to.


	5. One Bad Day, Part 1

"Hopefully you won't need these, but it's best to prepare for the worst," Impa said in her deep monotone voice. Link's eyes widened at the array of weapons on the table. He'd used each of them during his training, but never had he carried them all at once.

A kunai went into a holster tied around his boot. Smaller throwing knives fit into a pouch on his belt. The Kokiri Sword slipped into a sheath on his back, and he marveled at how much lighter it felt than it had when he ran out of the forest. He felt like he'd grown so much since then.

"Be careful. They tried to kill you once. Once a killer, always a killer. Link...that goes for you too. Do _not_ kill anyone. Once you do, you'll never stop. Remember what I threatened to do to you if you abused your strength?"

He nodded and looked up gratefully at his sensei. Her arms were crossed; rarely was she anything other than the picture of strength and composure. Even though she acted distant, however, he thought she was really nice. She'd done so much for him. Feeling lonely after yesterday's talk with Marin and Talon, he wrapped his arms around the Sheikah, though he only came up to the tall woman's belt.

For a moment, Impa was stunned. She'd been in the business of intimidating others for so long that she couldn't remember who hugged her last. It was probably Talon, back when he was still a young man. Memories of him and of the children in her tribe decades ago—before they were murdered—filled her in an almost comforting way...

But she refused to be the weak woman she'd been then. Snarling, she pried his arms apart and shoved him away.

"I am not your mother, boy."

Link stopped himself from falling and looked at her with wide eyes before telling himself not to cry. He shouldn't have expected affection from her. Even if she were the type to give it, he didn't deserve it. He was worthless.

She almost regretted her words when he averted his gaze, but steeled herself before she could apologize. She had to be this way for people like him whom the privileged few thought they could pick on. To soothe her conscience, she promised herself that she would pay the king a visit while Link was away.

Link was too ashamed even to say goodbye, and he slipped out of the barracks wordlessly. Mounting the horse Talon had graciously let him borrow—the family certainly didn't owe him anything after he'd eaten their food and bothered them with his clinginess for a month—he started across Hyrule Field toward what he hoped would be a better life.

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to talk to you?! Leave me alone!" Saria shouted, blocking the doorway to her house with some furniture so Mido couldn't get in.

Mido stood in place, not knowing what to do. The pretty green-haired girl was his favorite person in the forest, yet she'd been like this since Link ran away. Mido's blood boiled at the thought of him. Even dead, that wannabe Kokiri was still causing problems.

"He's gone, Saria," the Kokiri boss called to her. "I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."

She sat with her back to him, but his words still reached her and tears welled in her eyes. No Kokiri had known death or true grief until now, and she hadn't a clue how to handle it. All she knew was that every time she passed Link's empty house or saw where they once played together, she wanted him back, and the only way to protect herself from that hurt was to stay inside. Even that didn't work, though. He'd changed her, left an imprint on her heart that she feared would never go away, and all she had to fill the void with was regret. If she'd been more upfront with him and everyone else about how important he was to her, would the others still have hunted him? Could she have saved him?

Dismounting his horse at the giant hollow log which marked the entrance to the forest, Link crept into Kokiri Village cautiously, relieved that no one guarded the entrance. The Kokiri seemed to be indoors or away in the Lost Woods, yet he walked briskly, afraid that at any moment someone would scream and the Kokiri would appear to hurt him again.

It never happened, but he groaned internally as the last person he wanted to see stood between him and Saria's house. His back was turned, and Link called out to him non-threateningly, not wanting to startle him by approaching from behind.

"Is Saria home?"

Mido turned to face the one who addressed him and nearly fell down in fright. "L-Link?! Are you a ghost?"

Link wanted to say "No, even though you tried to make that happen," but he swallowed his anger and shortened his instinctive response to "No."

Mido's composure returned when he noticed the hilt poking out from behind Link's shoulder. "Hey, the Kokiri Sword! Give that back!"

"It's mine now. Is she in there or not?"

The orange-haired boy clenched his fist. Part of him was happy Link was alive—it meant Saria could no longer blame him for the blonde's death—but he also knew what would happen if he allowed Link to return to the village: he and Saria would be best friends again, and Mido would have an even more diminished role in her life.

"Oh no you don't. You've caused enough trouble already!"

After the physical and mental pain Link had endured in the last month, the boy in front of him hardly seemed threatening. Link had worked too hard and waited too long to be stopped now. "Buzz off, Mido. I'm only here to see Saria."

Mido gritted his teeth. Buzz off? He wasn't one of the insects or fairies floating through the enchanted woods. He was the great Mido! "Forget it! You're not seeing her while you're armed! Are you here to attack us?"

Link glared at him. "You've attacked me and made fun of me since I was little. Don't act like _I'm_ the monster!"

"You think you can tell me what I can and can't do, you little punk?"

Mido often ended his sentences to Link with those three words, but his confidence wavered as he noticed that Link wasn't so little anymore. His arms were thicker, and he didn't look remotely scared.

The Kokiri's black eye had healed since the chase a month ago, and Link thought of Marin and Saria to resist the urge to punch him again. They wouldn't want him to do that, even if Link thought Mido should look as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.

"I'm going to see Saria. Leave me alone, and we won't have to fight."

Predictably, the Kokiri didn't listen, but Link was ready. When Mido lunged forward, the Hylian sidestepped and tripped him—the bully was much slower than Impa, Link noted with satisfaction—sending him into the grass on his stomach. Mido got up quickly, but Link was already at Saria's house by then. Mido growled but did nothing, knowing that if he attacked him there, Saria would hear the commotion and hate him even more.

His back to his assailant, Link puzzled over the obstacle before him. Kokiri houses didn't have doors like the homes in Hyrule, but the green-haired girl had put a barrier up to prevent entry.

"Saria?" he called.

"Go away!"

Her harsh yell surprised him. At first he thought she had started hating him like everyone else, but he snapped out of his self-pity quickly and realized she was hurting, just like him.

"It's Link."

"Not funny, Mido!"

"Please, Saria...I've missed you so much. Are you okay?"

The barrier moved. Link thought he'd be happy to see her, but when she appeared, angry with disheveled hair and bags under her eyes, a lump formed in his throat. Did she look small because he'd grown, or was she sick from worry like Marin often was? Where was the cheerful girl who had always been so strong for him when Mido made him cry?

Her anger disappeared, and her eyes widened. "L...Link?"

His heart started beating again, and the lump disappeared. "Saria...I'm home."

Her mouth made an "O" shape. Trembling, she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, and when the barrier went back up, Mido fumed silently. He refused to let this reunion continue on its current course, refused to let Link ruin everything again; Mido was _not_ the bad guy, and he left for the know-it-all brothers' house, planning to show everyone who the real villain was.

Inside her home, Saria touched Link as though expecting him to be an illusion. "Mido killed you," she uttered in disbelief.

"He hurt me, but I survived outside the forest. I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner; I was afraid that if I didn't become stronger, they really would kill me."

The boy she'd watched grow from a baby to a mature Kokiri was all right. He wasn't a Stalfos or a rotting corpse. Saria thought she'd been all out of tears, but she threw herself at him sobbing, and soon he wrapped his arms around her and sobbed as well. They cried for what they had lost, their young minds that didn't understand why they suffered, and what they still had.

* * *

Doubling the guards outside his bedroom hadn't eased Daphnes Harkinian's nerves. The demon's face had haunted his dreams since he was a boy, though the king of Hyrule would never admit it. She never aged, wielding authority over mortality that he could only dream of, and those damned eyes saw through him and reminded him that no matter how he wielded the throne, he would never measure up to her.

His bedroom was immaculately clean. Marble, brass, and silk framed his large bed, but he was far more interested in what lay outside. He'd made servants build his room with no windows and only one entrance to keep the demon out, so she would have to get through a dozen of his best fighters to reach him.

Even as he considered his knights' prowess, though, he knew _she_ was coming. She'd crippled a knight, which meant she wasn't happy about something, and the rest of them were too spooked to do anything about it. Daphnes' heart pounded. Had forcing his daughter to sleep in his room with him been a good decision? Could he really keep the demon out? Was he protecting his little girl, or putting her in danger?

Looking to her for reassurance, he relaxed upon seeing Zelda's face, so peaceful in sleep. Her lack of concern and the grandiose dimensions of the royal bedroom bolstered him. He wasn't just the king; he was the kingdom itself! No freak could stand against him, and if they tried, he would send every soldier in Hyrule after them until his glorious name rose above all others.

As if to punish him for his arrogance, a figure materialized in front of him: where empty space had been one instant, a woman appeared the next. Daphnes fell in surprise, staring up at the one who had always been taller than him. "No," he wanted to say. It was impossible. She had bypassed his defenses without even fighting them.

"How did you get in here?!"

"There is no wall, no obstacle you can erect that can keep me out," said Impa, whose smirk fell when she saw that a child was also in the room. She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Stay away from my daughter," he snarled, putting himself between the two females, and Impa laughed.

"I'm here for you, not her. Don't pretend you're some sort of hero."

All the anger he'd felt toward her over the decades bubbled to the surface. He'd suffered this woman too long, and his determination to finally break free gave him courage to speak. "How do I know you won't hurt her? You slit my father's throat."

"You wish to lecture me for eliminating a genocidal maniac?"

"No, I want to know why you haunt me. You can't hold me accountable for my father's actions!"

"No, but I do hold you accountable for your knights."

"You mean the knights you assaulted?"

"I mean the coward who beat a child and the two men who raped a peasant and then silenced her complaints."

"You should have left them to the justice system—"

"You and your justice system would have done nothing," the silver-haired woman said fiercely. "For years the people in this castle have done as they pleased, knowing there will be no consequence. They act like thugs around the peasants, believing they are still good people as long as they act chivalrous in the public eye, but my eye sees all. A little boy came to Hyrule from the forest recently. He had no friends, family, or money. The knights should have helped him—their duty is to the people—but instead they beat him and cast him out because they thought no one would care about an orphan. That made me realize that I have been too soft. Something like that must never happen again. Let your knight's injuries be a warning. Clean up the ranks in your knights."

"You ask too much. Do you really think that I can weed out all indecency among everyone who serves me?"

"Maybe not, but I can offer motivation: if you fail to discourage criminal activity, I will discipline the culprits, and my methods will be harsh. I will break as many bones as necessary to get my point across. Or perhaps you would like me to be more severe?"

Daphnes growled, but fell to his knees and bowed to her. "It will be as you say."

Knowing she couldn't see his face while he was in this humiliating position, he bared his teeth. Crossbows, poison, brute force, and cutting edges had all failed to kill this woman. Sensing his thoughts, she grinned.

"Your father killed the Sheikah, but they are still watching you, guarding the people of Hyrule even from its ruler. I have inherited the duty and power of my race, and we do not care if you think you're beyond reproach."

"Father? What's going on?" a young voice asked, and he spoke quickly.

"Nothing! Go back to sleep, darling."

"No," Impa said. "As future queen, she needs to see this. You see your father bowing? This is the mark of a good ruler. Kings serve the people, not the other way around."

Five-year-old Princess Zelda stared at the stranger in slight fear, but mostly wide-eyed confusion. With perfectly brushed blond hair, an expensive nightgown, and a complete obliviousness to the suffering of others, she represented everything Impa hated.

Still, she was only a child, so with a toss of a Deku Nut, the Sheikah teleported away, leaving the girl's father to stew in anger as he assured her that everything was all right.

* * *

 _Blizzaga Saga_ : Impa has always danced on the edge between good and evil in this version of Hyrule, but Link has unwittingly pushed her to a new extreme with his plight. Soon the big confrontation in Kokiri Village will start, Link will get his answers from the Great Deku Tree and make a life-changing decision, and the "Strange Beginnings" arc will finally come to a close.

...You still won't know the meaning of the fic's title for a while, though. XD Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed so far! I hope this little experiment keeps entertaining you.


	6. One Bad Day, Part 2

_Blizzaga Saga_ : Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! This one will shed some light on Impa's strength and why this story is different from the story in OoT. Let me know what you think.

* * *

"Another wolfos was sighted near Lon Lon."

The knight who addressed Impa stood rigidly and spoke little. He must have heard what she did to the last man who was rude to her, she thought. The Sheikah nodded her understanding, and he left as quickly as he could without running.

Impa furrowed her brow. Sure, she'd shattered a man's leg, but that didn't warrant such cowardly behavior from who were supposed to be the bravest men in Hyrule. Still, she supposed it was good that they feared her. Maybe the king had taken her message to heart.

Her dagger was always on her belt, even when she slept, so she had only to retrieve her bow and Naginata before leaving her tiny room in the barracks. Wolfos were strong, savage beasts, but her determination to protect Talon was stronger. Though she still hadn't deduced how mythical creatures were suddenly appearing or why they only showed up near the ranch, she didn't doubt her ability, the ability of the Sheikah race, to handle it.

As she touched the door leading outside to the stables, however, the pupil in her left eye dilated. The inner conflict and killing intent that assaulted her from just outside were so strong that she didn't have to consciously activate her power to sense them.

They must have come from dozens of people. Knowing only one reason why so many would gather around her, she resisted the urge to draw her dagger. Of course Daphnes would escalate his attempts to kill her, she thought angrily. Why had she expected any different from a family who would sooner sacrifice an entire race of people than admit their shortcomings?

As always, his aggression was futile. Archers surely had bows trained on the door from the other side as they waited for her, so with a burst of concentration she dematerialized and passed through the wall instead.

* * *

Saria pulled back from their embrace to look at Link but kept her hands on his, fearing she might lose him again if she let go. His arms were thicker, his blond bangs longer, and his head slightly higher than hers.

"How do you keep growing?" she asked in awe, and his smile fell.

Link looked away. He hadn't forgotten that he was worthless, but he wished he didn't have to tell his best friend so soon. "Saria...I'm not a Kokiri. I'm a Hylian."

The kind, pretty, well-liked girl's dimples and short green hair hadn't changed since he last saw her. As a Hylian, he knew he'd continue to grow and become more unworthy of her friendship.

To his surprise, however, she squeezed his hands, uncaring of how rough they were from training. "Oh Link, I'm just so happy you're alive! You're my best friend no matter what you are."

Stunned, he could only ask in a small voice, "Really?"

"Of course!"

Saria felt like she'd woken from a nightmare. Finally, everything could go back to the way it was. Link, on the other hand, felt like he was dreaming; her honest smile contrasted with everything he'd experienced in the last month, and the thought of seeing it every day instead of worrying about becoming stronger and strangers abusing him filled him with warmth. Thought his parents were dead, he realized he had a family here, and he wrapped his arms around her again.

Despite her recent self-imposed isolation, Saria had always been the more social of the two, and as she felt herself coming back to life, she couldn't stop talking.

"Where did you get your clothes?"

"The first person I met in Hyrule gave them to me. My old tunic was covered in blood, so she threw it away."

"Is your arm okay? Let me see it."

Without thinking, he pulled his arm away from her small hand; the last thing he wanted was for her to see the scar Mido gave him, the physical evidence that he didn't belong here. When she frowned, however, he wondered if he'd made a mistake.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking... Surely the Deku Tree knows you're a Hylian. Why didn't he tell you?"

Link breathed a sigh of relief. It was silly to think the emerald-haired girl would turn on him. "I don't know. I don't know why he lied and said I'd get a fairy, either."

An unfamiliar discomfort weighed her lips down. While she didn't know the forest guardian's reasons, she knew he only acted for the good of the forest. Regardless, Link's sadness seemed deeper than it did whenever Mido picked on him, and the change frightened her.

"Link? Everything is okay now. I bet if we ask him, he'll explain everything."

He agreed reluctantly, and she led him on her first trip outside all day. Now that he was back, her earlier sulking embarrassed her, and she hoped she wouldn't have to face her other friends right away.

When they emerged from her house, however, a crowd of Kokiri met her in front of the door with Mido at the front. Link tensed, realizing that the orange-haired boy must have summoned the other villagers and wondering if he'd have to fight them.

Noticing the dry salt trails on Saria's cheeks, Mido yelled at Link. "What did you do to Saria?!" The Hylian glared and clenched his fists to keep from lashing out. "Hey, I'm talking to you, loser!"

"You're the one who made me cry," Saria said sternly, hoping to soothe Link, but to her surprise he didn't stop glaring. The know-it-all brothers averted their gazes in shame when he directed his narrowed eyes at them, and his fury grew as he studied the wide-eyed onlookers; none of them defended him against Mido's baseless accusation, nor had they ever done anything to stop their leader's escalating efforts to get rid of him.

Saria had never seen Link show anger this blatantly before. Usually he bottled it up and then cried when no one was around. She squeezed his hand, and to her relief it seemed to calm him. He stepped forward, causing the crowd to part for him, and led the green-haired girl to the edge of the village.

Mido gritted his teeth at being ignored, and the rest of the Kokiri found their voices. "Saria, what are you doing? The Deku Tree didn't summon you!" Fado said fearfully.

"I know, but I want to tell him that Link is back," Saria chirped. Maybe Link would finally get a fairy, she thought excitedly.

"Saria, he's dangerous!" the boss of the Kokiri protested. "You can't ignore the fact that he's not one of us any longer!"

To Mido's frustration, she did just that, and the forest children watched in shock as one of their own and an outsider left them behind, hand in hand. Infuriated, Mido followed them through the corridor leading to their destination while the others stayed behind, not knowing how to respond to this unprecedented event.

"Great Deku Tree, Link is back!" the green-haired girl exclaimed once they reached a clearing.

Taller than anything in the forest, the Great Deku Tree moved his enormous mouth, shaking the ground with his booming voice. "So he is. It lifts my soul to know you are alive, Link. Please speak and lighten your heart. I know you must have questions for me."

From the moment the boy started training, he'd wondered what to say when he returned to the forest. He'd dreamed of ignoring everyone, begging for their acceptance, and even beating up Mido. He still didn't know what to do, but remembering his sensei's demand that he show restraint, he decided to stick with facts.

"I found out that I'm not a Kokiri and that my family in Hyrule is dead. How did I end up in the forest?"

"Your mother brought you here when you were small. Something wounded her, and she must have run into the forest to flee from it. She reached this clearing, but had lost too much blood to go on. With her dying breath, she asked that I raise and protect you."

Link's eyes watered. His mother died to save him? Why didn't she save herself instead? "Why didn't you tell me? You kept telling me I'd get a fairy like the others someday... Why did you let me think all this time that I could be a Kokiri?"

As his accusatory tone, Saria watched him with concern, and he turned away from her to maintain his conviction. He didn't want to upset her, but he had to know why his life fell apart.

"If you knew what you were, the Kokiri would have eventually found out, and they would have feared you as they unfortunately fear you now. When I first saw you, I had a premonition that a great evil would rise one day to conquer the world, and that you would defeat it. I planned to keep you safe in the forest until you were strong enough to fulfill your destiny."

With facial muscles made of bark, the Great Deku Tree lacked the variety of expressions that the Hylian had, but the forest grew darker as though reflecting his sorrow.

"But I was wrong. Before your birth, Hyrule's previous king betrayed the race of shadow people who served him. His army surrounded them, and to ensure that at least one of them would survive, the Sheikah sacrificed themselves to perform a ritual that granted the youngest member their combined strength and lifespan. The evil I predicted would rise hasn't revealed itself yet because it is aware and afraid of the shadow woman."

* * *

"The first person who attacks me loses his teeth."

The knights facing Impa's home turned at the sound of her voice and scrambled to back away from her, cursing with wide eyes at how she'd moved behind them without detection.

"How—?"

Impa cut the speaker off, her muscular arms crossed in front of her chest. "Either you're blindly following orders to kill from a corrupt king, or you're corrupt yourselves and want me out of the way so you can put yourselves before the people of Hyrule. Whatever the case, it ends now."

Enraged at being caught off guard, a decorated soldier hurled a spear toward her, but with her eye, the eye of truth, she saw that his fury had grown the most and anticipated that he would attack first. Disappearing before the blade at the end would have hit her, she reappeared in front of him and had just enough time to see the panic and shock on his face before she threw her fist into it.

He fell as easily as her training dummies and seemed just as unlikely to stand again on his own. As he opened his mouth to cry, red flowed from it like a river, spilling his front teeth onto the ground. Turning away from the ruined man, she saw that his comrades had taken defensive positions but weren't advancing, clearly reconsidering whether they wanted to attack her.

That wouldn't do, she thought. Wounding one man wasn't extreme enough to send the message that the kingdom's leadership needed. Fortunately, her red pupils detected wounded male pride in her would-be assailants. Impa stood upright, knowing her height put many of them to shame, and with a smirk she tossed aside the single braid of silver hair that the scuffle had moved out of place.

"What's wrong? You were the ones who came looking for a fight."

Their faces and stances changed. Some let her words anger them. Others stared at their fallen comrade until their outrage gave them courage again.

"Go to hell, demon!"

The space between the barracks and the stables offered no hiding place. Archers knocked back arrows simultaneously. Impa let every crime she'd witnessed, all the way back to the Sheikah who died to save her, fuel her rage and ground her.

"I'm not going anywhere."


	7. One Bad Day, Part 3

_Blizzaga Saga_ : Oh hey, an update! :D Thank you to those who reviewed! To my anonymous reviewer: I'm glad you enjoy this story's version of Impa. Her backstory has been fun to write. "Corruption" and deviation from the canon story is a major theme in this chapter, so I hope you like it.

* * *

"The Sheikah ritual changed the course of destiny. Because the evil is dormant, there is no need for a hero yet. I am sorry, Link; I should have realized this sooner and sent you to the outside world to be with your own kind. Now the time has come for me to make amends, and to send you off with my blessing."

The Great Deku Tree's words shook Link more than his booming voice did. "I worked so hard to get here, and now you're telling me to go away?"

"Great Deku Tree, why?" Saria asked, echoing the blonde's hurt and confusion.

"The Kokiri and I cannot help you as you become a man. You must understand this."

"No one out there wants to help me!" Link blurted. "They all turned me away or tried to hurt me like the Kokiri. But...I have a family here," he said, turning to Saria. She looked at him questioningly, not knowing what a family was. "Please, I...I have nowhere else to go..."

"It may not seem like it now, but this is for your own good. A whole world is waiting for you. I'm sure your mother would have wanted you to see it."

Link hated himself for the liquid pooling in his eyes—Impa would point out his weakness and tell him to get over it—but he didn't know how else to handle this bittersweet reunion. He had to leave, yet it seemed the Deku Tree really did care for him after all, even though he didn't give Link a fairy. Link's heart felt like it swelled and broke simultaneously.

Nonetheless, shock and revelation soon froze his sorrow. After being outside, Link was no longer ignorant of the world's cruelty. A month ago, he would have taken the tree's words at face value and cried, but the forest's giant guardian suddenly reminded him of Malon's giant guardian—caring on the surface, but aloof toward outsiders. _There is only room in his heart for the women already in it_ , Impa had said about Talon. The bald man had been pushing Link to leave ever since he first appeared at the ranch.

"Why didn't you tell Saria I was a Hylian?" Link asked numbly.

"I didn't want her to fear you."

"No, I mean after I left. If you'd told her I was Hylian, she would have known there was a chance I was alive. Why did you let her think I was dead?"

"I did not want to give her false hope."

Link looked straight up to lock eyes with the Deku Tree defiantly. "Why do you really want me to leave?"

His best friend regarded him with increasing bewilderment. Didn't the Deku Tree just answer that? Surely her guardian was incapable of ulterior motives and wrongdoing. She felt slightly relieved when he answered with,

"So you can live the way you were meant to."

Link shook his head forcefully. "I've had enough people lie to me and pretend to care. I'm not doing anything you say until you tell the truth."

A long pause ensued, and the forest grew darker. From his hiding spot, Mido seethed, wondering why the Deku Tree didn't punish Link for being disrespectful. No matter how hard the Kokiri boss worked to gain the attention of Saria and the Deku Tree, it seemed Link would always have it.

"Mido, we shouldn't be spying on the Deku Tree," one of the male twins said nervously.

"He didn't summon Link," Mido argued. "We're just making sure that outsider doesn't hurt anyone. We're not doing anything wrong."

He'd never done anything wrong, Mido told himself. He wanted peace, and forcing the freak to leave and pay for all the suffering he'd caused was the only way to achieve it. Mido felt guilty, knowing it would make Saria sad, but she'd eventually get over it and realize everything he was doing for her.

Link didn't back down from their staring contest, and when the Deku Tree spoke again, his voice seemed less powerful, almost reluctant. "The truth is that although the evil is afraid at the moment, it will grow stronger and reveal itself one day. When that happens, whoever becomes the hero will need energy from the sacred temple in the Lost Woods to combat it. For that purpose, the Forest Temple must stay pure, and the forest must stay free of Hylians. I am truly sorry, Link. No child should ever have to hear this, but for the sake of the world, you must leave...and never return."

Saria's eyes teared up. "Never?"

She couldn't recall hearing the word much before the boys chased Link out of the forest. Nothing bad had happened in her world before that: everyone always stayed in the forest, pain always went away, she and Link always played together, and the Great Deku Tree always told the truth.

After Link "died", though, she thought he would never come back. She thought her heart would never stop hurting, and presently it seemed she'd never see him again or understand why her world was falling apart.

"Finding a family will be difficult, so I will assign someone to help you. Navi, come hither."

A ball of blue light emerged from its master's branches and fluttered down to Link. When it neared, the Hylian saw that the fist-sized creature had wings.

"Hello, Link!" it said. "My name is Navi. I'm an information fairy. I know lots about Hyrule, so I can help you around until we find someone for you to live with."

Even for a fairy, she was beautiful. Part of Link thought he should be elated, but instead the tears which had collected at the bottoms of his eyes slid down his face.

"I-Is this a joke? Instead of giving me a fairy to protect me when the others bullied me, or when they tried to kill me...you give me one now, when I'm already broken?"

"Link...you aren't broken."

Maybe the Deku Tree was right, Link lamented. He hadn't suddenly become worthless; he'd been that way from the beginning. Link sniffled to stop the mucus dripping from his nose and glared as fiercely as he could so no one would notice and think even less of him.

"I trusted you! Every time I was sad and you told me I'd have a fairy someday, I believed you! I thought we'd all be happy together, but...you're only giving me a fairy to get rid of me!" Navi put a few feet between them and floated in place awkwardly, not knowing what to do, but Link spoke with conviction. "I'm never listening to you or anyone who pretends to want what's best for me again. Thank you for the offer, Navi, but I'm staying here."

Turning around swiftly so he wouldn't have to show his wet face and runny nose any longer, the young Hylian stomped away, leaving Saria, who was stuck between the two most important people in her life, to hesitate only slightly before following him. "Link!"

He stopped to let her catch up but didn't turn around. He wondered briefly if she'd tell him to listen to the Deku Tree before chastising himself. Why was he quick to assume the worst of her when she'd shown so many times what a good friend she was?

"I'm sorry," he said, not sure what specific action or personal flaw he apologized for.

She shook her head. "I don't get it, but...I'm not giving up! Surely there's a way for you to stay here and still make sure the world is safe. We just haven't thought of it yet."

Link chose not to voice his doubts. As they reentered the village, its inhabitants watched him uneasily, and he clenched his fists until someone broke the tense silence.

"What do you think you're doing? The Great Deku Tree gave you an order!" Mido shouted before announcing to everyone, "He said you have to leave!"

"Link, is that true?" one of the twin girls asked, not angry but merely curious.

Link didn't how much of the Deku Tree's story about evil and destiny was truth. He didn't know what was right anymore, but he knew he didn't want to talk about it right now.

When the girl saw he wasn't going to answer, she turned to his partner. "Saria?"

"I... It's true, but..."

"We'll all be in danger if he stays with us! The Deku Tree said so!"

Regaining her composure, Saria countered Mido instantly. "We can't just abandon Link!"

Link turned to his treehouse, wanting to forget everything. As he neared the ladder leading up to it, however, the ground in front of him erupted. A plant bulb nearly big enough to swallow him whole emerged, supported by a stiff but thin stalk-like body. The Deku Baba hissed at him, purple venom dripping from sharp teeth.

He backed away in alarm, and the forest children screamed. Mido was the quickest to recover. "The forest spirits are angry! You're making everything worse by being here! You've _always_ made things worse!" Mido turned to the know-it-all brothers. "We have to get him to leave. We were right to chase him out before."

His conviction seemed to ease the nervousness they'd felt around Link since his arrival. "Link, the Deku Tree said the forest will be doomed someday if you stay. I'm sorry, but you need to leave."

Knowing the weaker boys were just looking for an excuse to clear their consciences after almost killing him, Link ignored them and turned to their leader. "You coward! You only want me gone because you don't want me around Saria!"

Mido faltered at having his motivation made public, and a quick glance confirmed that the Kokiri were beginning to wonder which side to take. Furious, he assumed an aggressive stance as though planning to tackle Link.

"Don't fight!" Saria begged, though she was pleading not with the boys, but with reality. "This can't...this isn't supposed to happen..."

Phantom pains burned the scar on the Hylian's arm from what Mido had done to him. Link remembered thinking he would die, and he wanted to beat Mido until he felt the same fear, the agony and shame of being hunted like an animal. The desire to keep Saria from crying more, however, overpowered his violent urges, albeit just barely.

"Don't fight me, Mido. It won't be like before!"

The orange-haired boy gritted his teeth; the Link he knew never stood up to him like this. The other Kokiri looked to Mido, wondering what he would do, and he realized he'd trapped himself; he didn't know if he could win a fair fight, but Link had called his motivation selfish and implied he was weak in front of everyone, and the Kokiri boss couldn't let that go unchecked.

"This is your last chance! Get out of here now!" he ordered, willing his voice not to crack at his last-ditch effort to resolve the situation without further embarrassment.

Link didn't move. Behind him, the Deku Baba lunged forward, trying to take a bite out of the blonde who was just out of reach, but from Mido's point of view it looked like both Link and the creature were staring him down.

"I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Teleporting thwarted the archers' aim. Cutting off the hands which shot at her would be poetic justice, but Impa was no poet and the soldiers wore wrist guards, so she settled for smashing another man's face. He fell like the other one, and she turned her attention to a knight who thought he could cut her from the side. Knowing she couldn't keep teleporting every time they attacked her, she instead blocked his sword with her Naginata and shoved him back with a grunt.

She thought her decision not to disappear would embolden them, but she sensed their fear increase to terror. To her confusion, though, it wasn't directed at her. The knights sprinted away, and before she could make sense of their behavior, she heard a cannon fire.


	8. One Bad Day, Part 4

_Blizzaga Saga_ : Thank you again to my reviewers! Link probably won't turn completely evil like Dark Link, but he certainly won't be the hero we know and love from the games. As for whether he'll eventually save the Great Deku Tree, I can't reveal that yet. ;) I hope you like this chapter. The "Strange Beginnings" arc is almost done!

* * *

Deku seeds stung Link's chest. He winced and glared at Mido, who glared back and prepared his slingshot for another round.

"The forest doesn't want you!" Mido shouted. "No one wants you, so leave and never come back!"

The two Kokiri who stood with their boss reluctantly raised their slingshots as well. Link felt a hiss of air behind him from the Deku Baba which bit at the air repeatedly, its prey just out of reach. This couldn't be happening again, he told himself, but it seemed the Great Deku Tree was wrong about him being destined to become a hero. His only destiny was to be cornered like an animal.

He shielded his face with his arms as another volley hit him. "Link!" Saria cried.

With a pang of guilt, he wondered if his decision to stay caused her more pain than leaving would, but the fresh welts on his skin sharpened his resolve. He wasn't a Kokiri, but he wasn't a monster either. He deserved to have a life, have a friend.

"You'll have to kill me if you want me to go away!" he shouted.

"No! Don't!" the green-haired girl pleaded. "Link, you don't mean that! Mido, stop!"

Mido squeezed his slingshot until his knuckles turned white. Part of him wanted to listen to her. Despite his lifelong dislike of the Hylian, he didn't want this physical punishment to continue, but Link had brought it on himself by questioning the leader in front of the others.

Though Impa had taught him how to attack effectively, Link didn't know how to defend against projectiles. The Kokiri sold Deku Shields to those who had fairies, but as he uncovered his eyes and saw the Kokiri, he realized again that he would never be one of them.

The twin girls ran. The bravest boy in the village, the one who taught everyone else to do backflips, hid behind a bush. Fado went to Saria to calm her. Not a single person other than Saria stood up for Link. They were just as cowardly as the knights who hated Impa.

Weeks of training with the strongest woman in the world had conditioned him to think quickly. While his attackers reloaded, Link turned, unsheathed the Kokiri Sword, and slashed horizontally in one motion, batting the Deku Baba's head aside. Using the blade's momentum, Link spun and sliced the stalk supporting the creature when he came back around.

The giant head fell to the ground, still opening and shutting its jaw. Before he could retreat up the ladder to his tree house, though, another Deku Baba rose from the ground to take the first one's place. It screeched, and Link fell backward in surprise, scrambling away from its sharp teeth and the corrosive saliva dripping from its mouth.

"Don't you get it? The Deku Tree doesn't want you here!" Mido yelled, only to take a step back when the blonde twisted his body and started running toward him. Mido assured himself that he was in control. He had help. The know-it-all brothers...

...were backing away from him, he realized. Nevertheless, he stood his ground with slingshot raised. He wasn't afraid of the boy who always cried and was too weak to fight back. He was the Kokiri boss. He was the great Mido.

His title didn't help him, however, when Link tackled him. Knocking the wind out of the bully, Link quickly pinned him to the ground. Desperate to assert his authority, Mido threw a punch with all his might and hit Link across the cheek. Link's temple throbbed, but he only narrowed his eyes; compared to Impa's attacks, Mido's were nothing.

The Kokiri's eyes widened when Link snarled like a wolf, barely flinching. Abruptly it occurred to Mido that he had created this beast. His memories of hurting Link physically and emotionally weighed down on him like Link himself. Link was bigger than him now, and Mido couldn't hope to counter in one moment the fury he'd created in Link through a lifetime of selfish decisions.

"W-Wait, Link, stop! I don't want to fight you anymore!"

"You say that _after_ you hit me?" Link spat. "You say that after picking on me for years and almost killing me?!"

The rage he felt every night since he fled to Hyrule erupted. Tired of holding back for a world that didn't care, Link raised his fist. One of the Kokiri placed a hand on his arm from behind, but thanks to Impa hitting him over and over, he was always ready to defend himself. Without breaking eye contact with the boy beneath him, Link threw his arm and knocked the person back as hard as he could. Then he held his fist above the orange-haired boy's face once more, using his other hand to lift him off the ground by the collar.

Mido's eyes were wide, but not from fear. He looked at something behind Link. "Saria!"

"Oh no!" said a voice he recognized as Fado's. "Saria, are you okay?"

"How could you, Link?!" Mido demanded.

"What?" Link tried to stay focused on Mido, telling himself that nothing would stop his vengeance, but out of instinct he turned his head. His best friend lay on the ground holding her face, and Link dropped Mido, barely registering the boy's cry of protest as he hit the ground. "Saria?"

Saria was the sweetest person in the world. Who would ever hurt her? The Kokiri girls helped her up, glaring at him. The truth of who he'd hit seeped into his mind, but he refused to believe it. He'd meant to hurt Mido, not her. Never her. Now all the Kokiri emerged to glare at him, and he blinked, hoping it would make the image before him go away.

* * *

Impa came to, sprawled on the ground. The broken bones in her midsection mended themselves, but she still despaired. Whose life force had been sacrificed to heal her this time? Her father's? Her sister's? A tiny warmth she'd nursed in her chest since her clan gave their lives for her vanished, and despite her attempt to cover her emotions with anger, tears blurred her vision as she experienced her clan's death a second time.

As she'd done every day since the bodies of the Sheikah fell around her, however, she blinked her eyes dry. Her Naginata was no longer in her grasp. She must have dropped it when the cannonball sent her body flying, and the soldiers had probably taken it away while she blacked out. It seemed that only a few seconds had passed, however, since she wasn't in chains and they were still outside the barracks.

She stood, blood pounding through her head from anger so loudly that she barely heard the man who shakily pointed a sword at her. "H-How can you still stand? What are you?" Her eyes glowed red, and he growled. "On your knees! You don't stand a chance without your weapon."

"What are you doing?!" another man hissed at him. "We're not taking her alive after what she did to the others! Archers, take her down!"

The first arrow missed. The next harmlessly struck her metal breastplate, but the third went through her neck, cutting off her gasp. The glow in her eyes didn't fade, however. Another life bonded to her disappeared, and she gripped the shaft, tearing her neck open as she removed the arrow. Another soul was sacrificed against her will to heal her, leaving nothing but scars on new flesh, and her red eyes glowed more furiously at the men in front of her, whose faces lost color.

"This is the last bit of mercy I will ever show you. Flee."


	9. One Bad Day, Part 5

_Blizzaga Saga_ : Just one or two more chapters, and this arc will be over. Sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit to find out what happens next with Impa. ;)

Thank you for reviewing, everyone! To my anonymous reviewers: Saria won't hate Link. Like in the game, she's basically the only Kokiri with common sense, lol. As for the rating, I plan to keep it T for now. I only mentioned rape in literally one line and didn't give any details. I know this story is dark and violent, but I don't think it warrants an M rating just yet. Maybe I'm desensitized to this stuff? Hm...

* * *

Saria covered her mouth with her hands, but Link still saw her tears. "Saria! I'm sorry!" he shouted.

He was so horrified at himself that he didn't pay attention to Mido until the boy beneath him punched him in the face again. Unlike last time, it caught Link off guard, forcing him to roll off of Mido, who stood and gave orders to the others.

"Get the ropes!"

Link barely registered pain in his jaw—no physical force could hurt his body as much as each of Saria's sobs hurt his heart—but his eyes widened when the boys held tools they must have gathered while he visited the Deku Tree, the same ones they chased him away with last time.

"N-No. No!" This couldn't be happening again. He wasn't an animal. He was...

He was worse than an animal, he realized. Animals didn't hurt Saria. He apologized to her again, and Mido seethed.

"You don't deserve to even speak to her!"

Link was on all fours, which made it easy for the Kokiri boss to kick him in the stomach, sending the boy without a fairy to the ground.

"Link!" Saria shrieked, overcoming her pain long enough to move her hands from her mouth. Two of her friends immediately held her arms, keeping the thrashing girl in place. She ignored the metallic taste in her mouth. "No! Let me go to him!"

Link lifted his head from the dirt and saw his best friend's swollen lip. Before he could apologize yet again, he felt eyes on him. Looking around, he saw that the Kokiri who were once too frightened to act now seemed united. In front of him, Fado fixed him with a smoldering glare as she held Saria.

"You jerk! Mido was right about you!"

Link shielded his head when a rock strike his side. Another came, and he curled into a ball, still begging to whatever deity would listen for this all to be a bad dream. A third struck his ankle bone, however, and he realized that like in Hyrule, no one would help him here.

The stones hurt more than the Deku seeds had. Link thought that perhaps he should fight back, but abruptly everything Impa taught him felt useless. What good was knowing how to hurt bad guys when he was the bad guy?

Saria shook with all her might, but she knew she couldn't break free. She knew the others wouldn't stop despite her pleading, so even though she'd always wanted nothing more than for Link to be accepted, she screamed, "Link! Run!"

He looked at her in surprise, not caring that it left his face vulnerable. Her hair was disheveled from struggling, no longer forming cute points which stuck to her cheeks. Tears streamed down the face that always held a smile for him.

"Please, you can't let them hurt you anymore! You don't deserve any of this!"

The fact that she stuck by him even now awed him until a projectile cut his forehead. He glared at the thrower, possessed by a sudden urge to fight everyone making her sad and force them to accept him, but that wouldn't take care of the person who made her saddest.

Link didn't deserve her compassion. As Mido had said, he made everything worse, so when the boys came closer with their ropes, he pivoted and limped away. The rocks stopped coming long before he reached the edge of the village, but he didn't slow down until he was through the log tunnel leading out of the forest.

Once the Hylian disappeared, Mido sighed in relief. The others returned to their meek selves, but he puffed out his chest, knowing he'd preserved order. He turned to the injured girl, who hung her head, refusing to look at anyone.

"Saria, I know it hurts now, but—"

The emerald-haired girl threw her arms again, and the girls restraining her let go and backed away, not used to her being so violent. "This is all your fault!" she said, clenching her fists by her sides. "How could you?!"

His eyes widened, but he recovered quickly. "The Deku Tree wanted him gone! Besides, he hurt you!"

"Because he was mad at _you_! As far as I'm concerned, you're the one who hurt me!"

"That's ridiculous. I'd never hurt a Kokiri!" he declared, but when her glare intensified, the breath left his chest and he felt as big as a fairy.

"Don't act like you were just following orders! You've been against him ever since he and I became friends, always trying to separate us. And why? So I would _like_ you?"

"What? That's not..." Mido stopped talking, feeling everyone's eyes on him, but Saria wasn't finished.

"I _hate_ you! Thanks to you, Link will never..."

Choking on a sob, she turned her back to everyone and ran to her house, leaving him paralyzed. Her friends called out to her, but she barely heard them over her crying. Wanting to block them out entirely, she barricaded the entrance from the inside like she had after Link left the first time.

The horror on Link's face and his indifference to his own pain stayed with her. The forest deity was a liar, she thought bitterly. He and her "friends" had hurt her and Link. Afraid that she could never draw comfort from the forest again, she wrapped a blanket around herself and imagined that it was hugging her.

Hours passed. People knocked on her door, but she stayed inside where no one could betray her and where she wouldn't have to face the reality that Link probably wouldn't come back for a long time, if ever. Saria used to pray to the Great Deku Tree when she was sad, but now that she knew he didn't have Link's best interests at heart, she clasped her hands together and hoped that whatever god was listening would deliver her message.

"Please come back, Link. I don't know how to get through to the others, but we'll stand against them together. Please, you don't have to be alone. I don't want to be alone, either."

* * *

Link reached his horse, but before he could climb onto the saddle, the sound of the earth erupting behind him caused the animal to flee with a scared whinny. He turned around to see a gang of Deku Babas between him and the entrance to the Lost Woods. This was the Deku Tree's way of saying he could never return, and the sadness of that realization immobilized him long enough for the carnivorous plant in front of him to sink its sharp teeth into his arm.

Link screamed and beat the Deku Baba's head with his fist. After multiple hits, it released him, his blood spilling from its mouth. He held his arm, trying to cover the wound with his hand so it wouldn't bleed so much, and ran to the nearby river.

It was exactly like last time, he thought miserably, right down to his sword arm being injured. He'd been the best pupil to Impa and the best guest to the Lons he could be. He'd worked so hard and grown stronger, so why did he lose everything?

It didn't matter that his horse ran away. It was fitting, in fact; he was alone now. He couldn't even count on someone being in Hyrule Field like last time to save him. Link resisted the urge to whine as he rubbed water onto his stinging wounds, knowing he couldn't be weak now that he had only himself to rely on.

Before his heart closed completely, though, he thought of Marin, the one person in Hyrule who was gentle and loving toward him. The memory of her calling him "sweetie" and holding him against her chest made him cry harder. He didn't care that her family had no room for him. He had to see her one more time. He needed a hug, a pat on the head, a kind word, anything to help him believe that his life wasn't ending.

The small boy felt as though the world was laughing at him, waiting for him to give up and die as he jogged across the field that was much too big for his legs. The blood on his arm dried, and he sniffed dripping snot back into his nose—not that he deserved to be in anyone's presence even while clean. Upon reaching Lon Lon Ranch's massive gate, he grunted and shoved it open with one arm before slipping inside. Knowing Marin was usually in the garden at this hour, he dragged his feet in its direction, only to stop when her voice reached him.

"I want to die!"

Unable to make sense of her statement, he turned to the barn, where it had come from. The door was closed, but time had weathered the building, and Link peered through a gap between the boards forming the wall. Inside, a crestfallen Talon put his hand on Marin's.

"Honey, please, Malon will hear you."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for everything."

Link studied Marin, Talon, and Ingo uncomprehendingly. None of them seemed wounded. Why was she talking about death?

"You're going to live," the round man said as strongly as he could. "Every rupee I make is going to the doctors."

For once, Ingo's expression wasn't sour. Taking off his work hat, he spoke reverently. "I know I complain a lot, but you know I don't mind giving you my wages, right? Talon and I just want you to be happy."

"It won't make a difference. Ten years of doctors and medicine, and for what? I can't move or eat without help. I can't leave the ranch, and you have to watch me slowly fade away. You're wasting money that can be used to make your lives and others better."

"In all this time, we haven't lost hope yet. We can't lose it now," Talon answered.

Marin shook her head, letting drops of water roll onto the ground. "Please...don't let Malon see me. Her last memory of me can't be like this."

Link remembered how she dodged his question about why she was thinner than other women. He remembered Talon yelling at her for leaving the ranch by herself, and he remembered having to help her stand after her trips to the garden. Impa's words suddenly came to him: _"Delicate flowers are trampled by people who don't care."_

Had she been suffering the whole time he knew her? Had he been so selfish that he never noticed? Link threw open the door as violently as he could with one arm and ran toward her.

"Don't die, Miss Marin!"

The three adults turned to him in surprise. "Get him out of here," Talon told Ingo, but Marin bent down and held his face when he reached her. Life came into her gaunt face, and her eyes widened.

"Link! What happened to you?"

He ignored her question. "What's wrong, Miss Marin? Are you sick? Did someone hurt you?"

"I...yes, I'm sick. I've been sick for a very long time. But sweetie, what happened? Oh, your arm... You have cuts all over. Did the Kokiri do this to you?"

His sharp eyes gazed determinedly at her. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be strong like you want me to be...but only if you're strong too. Malon needs a mom, and Impa always talks about how much Talon loves you. And I love you too, even if you're not my mom."

She locked eyes with him. "Link...my baby..." Her hand caressed his cheek, and then she fell to her knees, embracing him. "I'm so sorry, everyone. Ingo...Talon..."

Slight smiles returned to the men's faces. "Don't be sorry. I'd do anything for you," Talon said.

"I won't give up. I love you all so much." She kissed the boy's hair. "Thank you, Link. That's twice you've saved me."

He hugged her back. Even though she was thin, she was so warm. Link smiled for the first time since reuniting with Saria...but it couldn't last. Pulling away, he tried to keep his expression strong.

"I won't be a burden anymore. I won't eat all your food and waste all your money, so Mr. Talon can do his best to keep you alive and happy."

She looked at him in confusion. "What are you saying?"

Link thought he was all out of tears, but more came as he tried to tell her goodbye. "I love you, Mommy," he said before running out of the barn.

"Link!" she called after him, but he didn't stop. The ranch gate closed behind him, and like the forest, he knew he could never go back to it. Despite all the times Marin and Saria made him feel loved, he had never helped them, only hurt them.

He had to hurry; Marin was so kind that she would surely send one of the men to bring him back. He didn't know how he would outrun them or where he'd go, but it didn't matter. Nothing did.


	10. One Bad Day, Part 6

Impa dealt with the unfortunates who didn't flee, but no matter how many knights she knocked to the ground, she saw only her family falling around her. The ritual which gave birth to her strength long ago had sucked the life from their bodies, and in her mind a rapidly fading friend crawled to her.

" _ _Impa...you must live...for us."__

Fury and adrenaline kept her from giving in to despair. She hit harder until she came to a recruit who wasn't foolhardy enough to charge at her. The tall woman froze him with her glare.

"You can either keep your loyalty to the king or keep your teeth."

"H-He's in the east wing! Please don't hurt me! I have a family!"

"Your story has moved me," she muttered sarcastically.

It seemed that everyone else surrendered with him, because no more knights attacked her. She stopped at the castle's east entrance, her anger growing at the aura of fear enveloping it.

The king had lost the right to be afraid. He'd tried to do away with her time and again. He'd allowed his men to place themselves above the rest of Hyrule, and after today she knew he was only going to get worse. She also knew, however, that if she faced him now, she wouldn't stop until he was dead. She'd castrate him and cut him into little pieces, one for every time she saw her family die in her thoughts. His soldiers would need tweezers to pick up the pieces.

Even she knew that the images of retribution in her head were extreme, but they tempted her with how easy they'd be to fulfill. She could find a spear, drive it through him with the strength of the people his father had murdered, and watch as he choked on his last breath. She could bash his skull against his beautiful marble throne until it fractured into so many pieces that his brain spilled out.

But she didn't. She felt like a coward for turning away, but she reminded herself that killing him wouldn't help Hyrule. It would only start a war, and keeping Talon safe was more important than getting revenge. The knight who told her that a wolfos was lurking around Lon Lon Ranch had probably lied to lure her into Daphnes' trap, but she refused to gamble with Talon's life.

"I'll be back for you," she swore to Daphnes.

The knights had her polearm, but she found her bow where she left it in the barracks. A man writhing in agony graciously offered his horse to her, and before she could change her mind, she galloped away from the castle.

She ignored the citizens who scrambled to get out of her way as she tore through Castle Town, just as she ignored the voice in her head which taunted her for fleeing. When she entered Hyrule Field and neared the ranch, she found no monsters terrorizing the area, but instead saw a little boy running away from Talon's home. His left arm swung uselessly at his side, covered in dried blood, and his chest heaved as though he'd been running for hours. As she galloped closer, she saw that he was gasping for air because he was crying.

Link's inner turmoil consumed him so much that he didn't hear or see Impa's horse approaching. Briefly forgetting that she was supposed to be fleeing, she wondered if the Kokiri had attacked him, but the gashes on his arm looked like the work of a monster.

"Link! What happened?"

The boy wiped away the tears blurring his vision. "Im...Impa?" A tiny bit of hope rose inside of him. "Can you take me away from here? I know you don't want to take care of me, and I don't have any money, but I can...I..."

Struggling to think of something, anything, he could offer her, he cried anew. Mido and the Deku Tree were right: he was a burden to the good people of the world. He couldn't even keep from sobbing in front of the woman who'd tried to make him less weak. At half Impa's height, Link felt unworthy of even half an existence. Drooping on legs which refused to carry him any further, he hung his head.

His blond bangs hid his expression, but Impa's glowing eyes saw everything. He was tiny, she realized. She'd of course noticed while training him, but when the nine-year-old shrank into himself, it was even more obvious. She was once that small too, she realized, a kid against a world that hated her. Knowing better than anyone how one day could destroy a person's life, she didn't repeat her question.

Instead she swallowed. Part of her wanted to tell him, tell herself, that everything would be okay, but she couldn't remember the last time she expressed emotion without fighting or being aggressive, couldn't remember how to do it. When was the last time she could safely let her guard down?

Still, she knew how to treat wounds, so the hardened warrior dismounted and held his wrist gently. Link bit his lip at the burning sensation of the salve she poured over his arm but said nothing.

"Liiiiiink!" Talon yelled, emerging from Lon Lon Ranch on horseback, and the boy looked down, his brief hope dying. The ranch owner sped toward the pair and dropped to the ground before his horse fully stopped. "Link, what are ya doing? Come back. We can talk about this."

Link shook his head. "It's okay, Mr. Talon. I understand. Miss Marin is more precious to you than anyone else, right?"

"Yes, but—"

"He can't stay with you," Impa interrupted harshly. "The king wants me dead, and his men have seen me train Link. If they find out you're harboring him, they'll think you're harboring me as well, and they'll do anything to get to me."

Talon looked from one injured person to the other. "What happened to you?"

It didn't matter; she'd made those who attacked her pay for it. Still, it was unsettling that Link hadn't noticed her injuries, so damaged was he.

"I can't go back to the castle." Though she could fight her way to the king and kill him, it would cost the lives of more of her people. "I'm going into hiding. I'll take Link with me."

She hoped this statement would provoke a smile, but the blonde didn't react. Her lips parted but made no sound.

"Link...I'm sorry, son. I'm a lazy asshole," said Talon. Link looked at him in confusion; the overweight man worked harder than anyone else he knew. "I devote everything to just one person. I forget that there are other people."

Link didn't react as Talon embraced him, knowing it was an empty gesture. This turn of events didn't mean he was suddenly part of a family.

Impa's expression softened, however. For a moment, she saw the rancher as he was before meeting Marin: younger and thinner with a smile for everyone, even brutes like her. The fool had forgotten how to care about others since then, and without his example, so had she. Regardless of whatever the Kokiri did to Link today, she'd kept him at arm's length. She thought she'd refused his hug this morning for his own good, but how could she protect Hyrule if she didn't care about its people?

"I'll keep him safe. I swear it." Mounting her horse, she faced her young charge. "Come, Link."

His attempt to reach up for the saddle ended before his hands rose above his head. "My arms..."

"No complaining," she barked in the tone she used for training him and then winced at her mistake. When she extended her arm to pull him up as an apology, he didn't take it. Strain replaced the emptiness in his expression, and she watched curiously as he worked through his pain and pulled himself up behind her. Unless her powers had suddenly lost their accuracy, he should have been too depressed for such exertion.

"Where will you go?" asked Talon.

"Somewhere we can heal. After that, wherever Hyrule needs me."

She knew he was going to ask them to stay and rest. Having never been able to say no to Talon, she galloped away before he could speak. Unable to handle the guilt of giving both of the people in her life the silent treatment, she spoke awkwardly to Link.

"Keep your eyes open. I'm going to kill a wolfos that's rumored to be here before we leave. Hold onto me, or you'll fall off."

He didn't. She was about to tell him it was okay to touch her when she spotted a large form running away from them. Impa sighed; it seemed all of her enemies were cowards.

Holding onto the saddle instead of Impa, Link watched her draw her massive bow and shoot at the wolfos unlucky enough to have crossed her path. He expected his all-powerful sensei to take it down quickly, but it was far enough away that her arrow missed. It was faster than their burdened horse, and as the distance between them increased, her second arrow missed as well.

Having decided moments ago that nothing mattered, Link nevertheless felt his pulse quicken when the wolfos turned its head to make sure it was fleeing successfully, revealing a gash across its face. His nemesis seemed to recognize him as well, for it turned around and bounded toward the Hylian, snarling.

For the first time since leaving the ranch, emotion filled Link. He couldn't hate the Kokiri, the Deku Tree, Marin's family, or Impa for not taking him in. He didn't even hate the knight who beat him, because a waste of space like Link deserved no mercy.

The creature which tore his arm up and terrorized Marin, however, was different. Its glowing eyes would have frightened him a month ago, but Link didn't need bravery now. He didn't need righteous anger or even the meager strength he'd worked so hard to obtain, because today he felt something new.

Impa stopped the horse, and Link gripped the hilt of the Kokiri sword with his injured arm, ready to continue the fight from last month. Before he could dismount, however, an arrow pierced the wolfos' head and it fell gracelessly, rolling to a stop. The anger disappeared from its eyes, replaced with the pain and fear of an animal that knew death was coming, and then it spontaneously burst into purple flames like all felled evil creatures.

The flames and the beast disappeared without a trace, and Impa lowered her bow. Still feeling a need to show more concern for Link, she spoke. "Stupid beast. If it hadn't run back for us, it might have lived."

He didn't respond. Unsatisfied despite having wanted this outcome, he glared at the space his foe once occupied. Attacking him was one thing, but anything that threatened Marin—or Saria or Impa—deserved death and whatever pain came with it.

Having been pushed to her limit today like Link, Impa bit back a curse when she saw that her victory was short-lived. The skirmish had apparently given two knights pursuing her from Castle Town time to catch up. Her rage caught the attention of Link, whose eyes widened. Weren't the knights afraid of her?

"Impa, stay away from them!" he said with realization. "The...The Great Deku Tree said that something evil wants you gone so it can take over Hyrule! It must be the king and his knights!"

Impa stopped gritting her teeth and turned to Link in shock. Had the king grown so wicked that even a demigod feared what he might do to the kingdom? Had sparing Daphnes' life been a mistake?

She'd have to ponder it later, for as she searched for the best route of escape, she saw another wolfos in the distance attacking a lone man. She considered ignoring him only for an instant. The knights would catch up to her if she helped him, but again, how could she protect Hyrule if she didn't care about its people?

She was going to kick his ass after she rescued him.

"Hold on!" she growled to both him and Link, but it seemed that the stranger didn't need her help. Upon their arrival, the beast lunged at him, and to her astonishment he plunged a large sword into it, ending its existence.

"Are you all right?" she asked once the flames enveloping it vanished.

It was mostly a formality, for he seemed fine. Taller than most men—taller than her, even—he wore heavy spiked boots and shoulder armor which obviously didn't slow him down. His red hair revealed him to be a Gerudo, which explained why he was so far west, and when he turned to her, she saw that his eyebrows connected to his sideburns and a jewel on his forehead marked him as a man of importance. His every feature proclaimed his power, and he smirked.


	11. One Bad Day, Part 7

_Blizzaga Saga_ : Hello, lovelies! Please re-read the previous chapter before looking at this one. I edited it due to some issues I wasn't happy with. Enjoy.

* * *

His bulk and fiery hair diverted attention from the strange green pallor of his skin. Rather than answer right away, he held up his massive broadsword to examine it—a show of confidence, Impa assumed, since wolfos disappeared when they died and thus couldn't have bloodied his blade.

"I am fine, though I wonder what two Hylians are doing so close to my borders."

"I am no Hylian," she snapped before she could stop herself. Angry but too tired to do anything about it, she allowed him to study her eyes, and his golden ones widened.

"A Sheikah?" His thick eyebrows came together in a demanding glare. "Tell me what you're doing here or I will end you."

She'd long since grown used to the unnerving effect she had on others, but his hostility surprised her. He gripped his weapon tightly as though trying to find his amused, self-assured manner again, and she blinked at his transformation. Surely the man she just witnessed destroying a monster was braver than this.

Lacking Sheikah powers of observation, Link saw only his muscular exterior and readiness to fight. Every big person he met had hurt him in some way, even Marin, so he hid behind his teacher.

Before she could respond, a brown-skinned woman atop a horse trotted to the man's side, wearing twin swords on her belt and a small top which covered her bust but not her stomach. Save for a yellow jewel on her forehead which matched the man's, the slender young redhead fit descriptions of the Gerudo from loose tongues in Castle Town.

"I take it you are the Gerudo king?" Impa asked.

"Y...Yes. I am Ganondorf Dragmire."

He spoke roughly at first, as though fear had stuck in his throat. At the reminder of his station, however, he straightened, though he kept his stance wider than was necessary as though expecting her to strike.

"It was not my intention to threaten your borders," she said as peacefully as she could. It came out as blunt and defensive rather than angry and threatening. "I was summoned to Lon Lon Ranch to deal with a wolfos."

He remained wary, but his companion at least seemed placid. The pretty teenager sat perfectly still, apparently trained not to act without her master's order. Her golden eyes were somehow dull as though her mind was elsewhere, a far cry from the rumors Impa heard of desert warriors who used their allure to distract opponents.

She felt more waves of animosity, but not from Ganondorf. He spotted the horse riders approaching from the northeast and growled accusingly at her.

"No. You wouldn't have brought a boy with you to slay monsters. You've discovered my plans and summoned the king's men to stop me!"

"I don't care about whatever your ambitions are. Those men are after me, not you. For you and your servant's safety, I ask that you stay out of this fight."

Link turned his head to see that their pursuers had drawn weapons, their horses kicking up dust in their haste. After what the Great Deku Tree told him, he knew that whatever evil was trying to take over Hyrule would eliminate anything in its way. The knights may as well have been monsters, and Link clutched the back of Impa's shirt.

"They're getting closer!" he warned in a small, frightened voice.

Throughout their conversation, Ganondorf's arm hadn't tired from holding his sword, and presently he pointed it at the Sheikah. "I wasn't ready to fight you yet, but Gerudo do not shy away from combat. I've worked too long to be undone, even by you. Nabooru!"

The Gerudo woman drew her bow in wordless obedience, and Impa gritted her teeth. She should have known that words wouldn't work; they never did. The alliance between races didn't stop Hylian rulers from confining the Gerudo to a wasteland, which she guessed was the source of Ganondorf's anger. Nor did knightly vows stop Hyrule's protectors from taking advantage of powerless civilians like Link. The promises of Hyrule's previous king didn't prevent him from killing her people, and she knew that Daphnes' promises to stop hunting her meant nothing even as he uttered them.

None knew betrayal better than she did. It was how the world worked, so she quashed her anger, knowing that Ganondorf was right not to trust her. Even her word was worthless in the end.

" _Impa...ya don't have to give up because of me. You can still find a family of your own."_

" _I would never ask you to give up your happiness for me. Marry her. I'm not upset. Really, I'm not." He looked upon her with caring eyes, undeterred by the hard, determined expression which scared most other people away. Damn him. Of all the men in Hyrule, she had to fall for the one who didn't care how strong she was. "I thank you, actually. This was...a wake-up call. I shouldn't dedicate time to a relationship when I can do so much good with the strength others paid in blood to give me. I lost my race, but now all of Hyrule is my family, and as long as even one member of that family suffers at the hands of others, I will not rest."_

 _She tried to be upset with him as she uttered the last sentence. He'd been nothing_ but _restful lately. They wrestled each other for fun when they were younger, but since building the ranch and securing his financial future, he'd let his muscles soften and his belly grow large._

 _Even so, his kindness and desire to make others feel at ease remained unchanged, and her attempt to hate him failed as it always did. Just as he didn't care how strong she was, she didn't care that he couldn't compete with her in combat anymore or that he was starting to bald. He was still handsome to her, and she neither wanted nor needed a big strong man to protect her anyway. Talon knew that from the beginning. He'd always accepted her._

" _Even you need rest sometimes. I hope that when you do, you'll come here. You know better than anyone how ugly the world can be. I'd hate to see it bring ya down with it. Doing good is important and all, but...promise me you'll try to be happy, all right?"_

 _Of what import were her feelings in a world where genocide could go unchecked? Still, she couldn't find it in her to disappoint Talon. "I...I promise."_

Lost in memories, she returned to the present when her horse fell. Alarmed that a person directly in front of her could loose an arrow without her noticing, she quickly realized that Nabooru wasn't responsible. The two riders from Castle Town had finally reached them and fired upon her her.

A neigh of pain from her mount shattered the peace in Hyrule Field. As the horse's legs gave, Impa fought the urge to panic so she wouldn't end up beneath it, but Link lacked her training and experience. He let go of his sensei and flailed his limbs the moment he started falling, afraid of landing on his hurt arm. Impa managed to roll out of the way, but when she recovered, she saw his head poking out from under the much bigger animal, his face red from the crushing weight.

"Link!"

The horse thrashed in a vain attempt to rise, each movement squeezing air out of Link's lungs. He almost closed his eyes while struggling for fear of being kicked, but Impa's eyes were wide as she ran to the creature and pulled him out from under it with her augmented strength.

He didn't move his legs as she dragged him to safety. They hurt enough that her grip on his arm didn't bother him, but he bit his lip to keep silent, remembering the times she told him not to complain during his training.

Hearing nothing from him, Impa mentally panicked. As a fugitive, she couldn't retrieve a potion for him in Castle Town, but the knights could, and protecting the lives of citizens was their job. She quickly realized, however, that they'd hold his health for ransom to lure her back if she left him. They might even harm him more, so with a snarl she prepared to charge at them and end the fight quickly.

She had to avoid Ganondorf's blade first, though. The horse's pain almost hid the sound of his approach, but Impa kicked off the ground in time to avoid his sword as he brought it down in an overhead swing. While close to him, she noticed that the whites around his golden irises were slightly yellow—sickly, like his skin. His sword passed through the space she'd been in moments ago, but his eyes followed her, filled with determination which surpassed that of the other men. Why did this stranger want her dead so badly?

"Seize her! That woman is a criminal!" one of the knights shouted, and Impa's eyes glowed.

The soldiers were angry, but also desperate and scared, so she was ready when one of them shot at her again. Unarmed and unable to teleport after her fight at the castle, she caught the arrow heading for her face by the shaft, and without blinking she glared at the one who sent it. His hands trembled as he held her gaze, unable to look away.

"I will cut off the hand that is raised against me."

The knights' eyes grew round as they fumbled with their weapons, clearly rethinking their decision to come here, and she turned her attention to Ganondorf. Unlike the other men, his failed attempt to attack her didn't discourage him. Realizing the futility of trying to hit her with such a large, predictable weapon, he dropped his broadsword and produced a hunting knife from a scabbard on his belt before assuming a stance which told her that he knew how to use it.

Unfortunately for him, she was no stranger to fighting kings today. Before he could act, she came at him with speed no mortal could match. He brought his blade up, hoping she lacked the control to stop before she impaled herself, but without slowing down she batted his arm away with one hand and used the other to strike his midsection with such force that he dropped the knife. The massive man stumbled backwards, and when he came to rest on one knee, his hand went to the now dented part of his torso armor where her palm had struck.

His skin wrinkled around his hooked nose in fury. "Nabooru!" he bellowed.

His subordinate dismounted and drew her scimitars quickly and efficiently, without the haughty air Impa expected of a "beautiful but deadly" Gerudo. Impa planted her feet, ready to rush her like she'd rushed Ganondorf, but to her surprise the teenager came at her first.

Before Impa could register what happened, she cried out and looked wide-eyed at the redhead. Calm and silent as a hunter, Nabooru kept her arms raised and her eyes trained on her prey, and when Impa saw blood on one of the curved swords, she became aware of blood trickling down her arm. No one had ever hurt her like this without resorting to tricks or cannonballs. How could someone move more quickly than her?

It didn't matter. All that mattered was that it would cost yet another of her people's souls to heal her. Though no longer a naive girl who believed in the good of Hylians, she still believed that one day she would find a way to return life to the spirits inside her, so like at the castle, Impa transformed her heartache into fury. Daphnes' assassination attempts on her had gradually reduced her family's numbers, and now this stupid girl had taken another family member from her forever.

The veins in Impa's arms swelled, and her wound closed. Nabooru swung her scimitar, only for Impa to seize her wrist and slam an open palm into her ribs, which unlike Ganondorf's, weren't protected by armor.

The bones in Nabooru's exposed stomach shattered. Link watched in horror as she flopped to the ground like a training dummy. Her ponytail fell over her face, but she made no attempt to move it.

"Get up," he whispered, wishing he could wake up from this nightmare and forget this world filled with atrocities he was powerless to stop. Breathing heavily through bared teeth, Impa stood over her felled opponent, but she may as well have killed herself instead of Nabooru, for she'd done what she told him not to do, the one thing which made someone evil according to her. As the last symbol of virtue Link knew became an angry beast before his eyes, he could only wonder what hope was left not just for his survival, but for the world.

Impa picked up the knife Ganondorf dropped. It didn't have the same weight as her kunai, but her aim was true as she threw it into the shoulder of one of the Hylians. While he screamed, she turned calmly to the unharmed soldier, who paled.

"Your comrade will be fine, but he won't be able to hold weapons for a while."

It had taken her years to control her inhuman strength, to live without accidentally hurting others, to fight without going too far. Even now, the desire to let loose without caring about the consequences persisted like an itch she couldn't scratch. Her muscles tensed, entreating her to punish the wretches who took one of her beloved, and she knew she'd be angry for a long time if she didn't obey that urge.

She also knew, however, that she'd never forgive herself if she did. She'd never fulfill her promise to Talon if she stooped to the level of her family's killers, and becoming a monster now would be tantamount to abandoning Link. With her arms still and her low voice even, she faced Ganondorf.

"The girl will live if you take her to your people immediately. None of you can win this fight. Return to your homes and heal."

The Hylians stared at her in awe, Link most of all, for his teacher, the one person he had left in the world, hadn't been corrupted. Despite how tired she was and how easily she could kill everyone, she didn't break her principles, and abruptly he felt as though he was looking at a heroine from a fairy tale—or a hero, he thought, remembering how she'd snapped at him for calling her "Miss". The ex-Kokiri had seen more cruelty today than he thought possible, but how could he wallow in self-pity when someone as great as her believed the world was still worth fighting for?

"Get up," he whispered once more, this time to himself.

Impa hid her surprise as Link struggled to his feet, once again doing more somehow than his physical and mental condition should have allowed. She resisted the urge to smile proudly and instead stared down the Gerudo king.

Rather than cowering beneath her gaze like the other men or caring for his underling, however, he looked at the knights. "You two aren't working with her?" They shook their heads, too afraid to speak. He trembled, and Link thought he was afraid too until his lips lifted into a smirk.

"Heh...heh heh...ha ha ha ha!"

The chuckle erupted into roaring, maniacal laughter, and Impa bristled. Those who didn't treasure the ones close to them while they were alive earned the least of her sympathy.

"Your servant's life is at stake. There is nothing to laugh at," she hissed, but Ganondorf shook his head, grinning as though in disbelief of his good fortune.

"Men of Hyrule...I shall rid your kingdom of this vermin as a service to your king!" His grin turned sinister and eager as he faced her. "For years I feared I wouldn't be able to overcome you. After hearing rumors of the demon who could teleport and live through anything, I thought you were invincible, but you can't even handle my servant."

Impa's response died on her lips when she turned to Nabooru, and Link's legs, barely able to hold him up, started shaking. As quickly as Impa's arm had healed, the discoloration on the beautiful girl's stomach became brown like the rest of her skin. The broken bones arranged themselves into a healthy shape again, and to the astonishment of everyone except Ganondorf, she stood.

"They're _both_ demons!" the knights cried.

Impa activated her ability, but when she searched for Nabooru's emotions to predict her next move, she found nothing. Nabooru neither raged at being knocked down nor delighted in everyone's fear of her. She didn't grunt in pain or speak. Ganondorf's laughter grew, the knights argued over whether fleeing would make them cowards, and Link voiced his confusion in frightened stutters, but Nabooru merely stared at Impa with empty eyes.


	12. One Bad Day, Part 8

_Blizzaga Saga_ : I wrote this chapter for Camp NaNoWriMo. Thank you as always to my reviewers! I hope you like this chapter. I know it's been a while. :(

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Nabooru threw herself at her opponent. Surprised by her lack of concern at losing her scimitars, Impa locked arms with her at the last moment and shoved her away, but Nabooru surprised her again by shoving back just as hard. The force of their attacks sent them away from each other, and Impa's eyes glow more brightly than before.

"What are you?" she hissed, scanning for some shred of humanity, some emotion that would tell her Nabooru's next move, but the Gerudo only stared back at her evenly.

Ganondorf stopped laughing, though he still smiled. "Your weapons, dear. Remember your weapons," he chided, and Nabooru picked up her blades as though she'd been waiting for permission.

She ran forward, swinging them wildly with speed her slender arms shouldn't have possessed. Link's eyes widened as the whirlwind of steel approached his sensei, but Impa was more puzzled than worried. As she backpedaled away from each attack, she wondered why Nabooru only aimed at her head; the girl was young, but surely King Ganondorf's chosen escort had more skill than this. Nonetheless, when Impa lowered herself and thrust the bottom of her foot into the Gerudo's lower leg, Nabooru didn't see it coming, and the bone gave beneath her white pants.

Nabooru dropped her weapons again, but that was the only indication that she might have felt pain. Even as she fell to one knee, she didn't stop looking at Impa the way one might look at a weed they intended to pluck. Her eyes held neither passion nor malice, and a moment's fright caused the Sheikah's eyes to stop glowing.

Before her elders died, they scared her and the other village children with stories of people whose emotions couldn't be read with the Sheikah Eye of Truth, because they had no emotions. The revelation that such monsters were real stunned her, but she reminded herself that she wasn't a scared child anymore. In any case, Nabooru's existence changed nothing, for she'd known that monsters existed for decades. They hunted down her family. They tried to kill her. They abused Link while masquerading as Hyrule's protectors.

She could stop them, though. The woman before her was more dangerous than the Gerudo king, perhaps even more dangerous than Hyrule's king, which meant it was Impa's duty to teach the emotionless girl fear. Kicking away the scimitars, Impa stomped the hand reaching out for them and ground her heel into its broken bones.

"I repeat: none of you can win this fight. King Ganondorf, give me your word that you will go home, and I will release your servant."

Ganondorf didn't stop smiling, but Link's legs stopped shaking. Yet again, his teacher's strength and mercy had saved everyone. She'd even saved the villains by not killing them when she clearly could. It awed him so much that he didn't think anything of the the knight he couldn't see until an arm closed around his neck from behind.

The knight stood, and in doing so lifted the shorter boy off the ground, choking him. "Stay where you are if you value the boy's life, demon!" He turned to his partner. "Shoot her!"

Her foot still holding Nabooru down, Impa turned to him in shock; no one had ever threatened her through a hostage. The other knight looked horrified as well. "What are you doing?" he asked, holding the shoulder Impa had immobilized. He clearly wasn't in any condition to use a bow. "He's a kid! Let's just go! There's nothing more we can do!"

The knight gripped Link more tightly. "No one attacks Hyrule's soldiers and gets away with it. My friend might never walk again after what she did! Shoot her!"

The amusement faded from Ganondorf's face. "Let the boy go! I am in control!"

"You have no authority outside the desert, Gerudo. This woman is an enemy to all of us. Help us destroy her!"

Link tried to reach the ground with his legs so he could breathe, but like always he was too small, too weak. Though he'd heard during his time in Hyrule that knights were supposed to protect everyone, the ones he met only used their strength to hurt powerless people like him.

At least they couldn't hurt Impa. Link looked to his teacher, hoping to find her refusing the knight's demand, but for the first time he could remember she seemed at a loss for what to do. Her eyes were wide, and as dark spots appeared in his vision, he wondered why she wasn't moving. She'd shown twice that none of these people could beat her, so what did she have to be scared for?

It didn't matter. Impa wasn't his mom or his best friend, and he could count the kind things she'd said to him on one hand, but she was the only person in Hyrule willing to fight for what was right. Link put his foot on the man's thigh and kicked off. The action didn't free him, but it gave him enough air to shout,

"No! Run!"

"Hold still," the knight snarled, securing his hold and placing a dagger to the boy's neck.

It drew a small trickle of blood, and Link stopped struggling for fear of impaling himself. When he looked at Impa again, anger had overtaken her, but she still didn't move, so his mind raced for a way to free her from the knight's control. The knight was an archer, which meant his gauntlets didn't cover his fingers, and soon after Link realized this the knight cried out in pain.

"Gah! Little brat!"

He dropped Link and cradled his small finger, which was now bent backwards. Link's injured legs nearly collapsed when he landed. He barely had the energy to lift his head, and when he did he saw the knight glaring murderously at him.

Link knew he wouldn't be able to draw his sword in time to stop an attack. Even at full health, he'd be no match for a trained adult. Expecting to earn a new wound, he was surprised when a tall blur slammed into his attacker and sent him crashing to the ground. When the blur stopped moving at impossible speed, it took the form of Impa, and despite Link's earlier wish for her to abandon him, he smiled weakly.

She saw it out of the corner of her eye. The Lons abandoned him, the knights abused him, the Kokiri chased him out of his home, and she'd ignored his cries for attention, but like her, he hadn't given up. A long forgotten part of her heart stirred until his expression suddenly became frightened and pain exploded in her torso.

The force of the blade nearly knocked her over. Link screamed her name, but she was too stunned to move at first. Not only had Nabooru healed and moved across the battlefield in the time it took for Impa to sprint, but the Gerudo had also cut through her armor, which Impa would have thought impossible if not for the pain and the red warmth seeping into her clothes.

She snarled and clenched her fists as one of the souls inside her healed her and disappeared. How much of her family had she already lost today? Another burst of pain stopped her from acting on her anger, and she directed her confused gaze downward until she saw the problem: her healing ability would do no good while Nabooru's scimitar was embedded in her side.

Seeing Impa unable to move, Link drew his sword and limped toward Nabooru, who calmly held her weapon so it stayed inside the other woman.

"Leave her alone!" he shouted, though his nine-year-old voice was far from intimidating. Nabooru gave it the attention it deserved, not even turning her head from the impaled Sheikah.

Too short and tired to aim for her neck, he settled for swinging his sword into Nabooru's side as she'd done to his teacher. The attack was slow and pathetic, but unlike Impa, Nabooru wore clothes which left her torso exposed.

Nevertheless, Nabooru didn't flinch despite the blood now running down her side. "Dear, don't just let him attack you," Ganondorf said as though lecturing a toddler. "Prevent him from hitting you again, but don't hurt the boy too badly."

Without releasing her grip on the scimitar, the red-haired woman threw her free fist. Link was at the perfect height for the blow from the taller woman to hit him in the face. As he fell, Impa's eyes flashed red, but before she could try to make the Gerudo pay again, an arrow pierced her throat. Another soul inside her disappeared to prevent her from immediately dying, but as her breath caught she found that she couldn't breathe. Her eyes darted to where the attack came from and found the knight she'd knocked down upright and holding his bow, apparently not needing his broken finger. He smirked victoriously.

"Go to hell where you belong, demon."

Link stopped covering his broken nose with his hands so he could shout. "No! Impa, run!" he cried, knowing how useless his advice was but pleading for reality to change. He told himself to get up, to do something—anything—but the pain from having his legs crushed finally became too much for his willpower to overcome.

Impa's body shuddered in an unsuccessful attempt to draw in air. She tried speaking, but warmth spilled from her lips instead of words. Another of her family's souls disappeared, bringing a moment's relief, but then a bubble of blood burst in her throat again and the agony returned.

Her lungs burned. Before the lack of oxygen could kill her, yet another family member sacrificed itself to heal her. Her mind slowed, her senses dulling, but Ganondorf's laughter was loud and triumphant in her ear. The Gerudo king walked toward her confidently, unimpeded by the boy whose heroic efforts to move resulted only in grunts and twitches. With a mocking grin, he bore into her blood red eyes with his golden ones.

"I heard that you were stronger than all of Hyrule's knights. I thought you were the fated destroyer of my race, the prophesied warrior who no Gerudo could stand against! I spent so much time planning for you, but you bleed just like every other mortal."

Impa struggled, but her convulsing body already knew the truth: she'd failed. Souls began disappearing even more quickly. Ganondorf didn't appear the least bit threatened despite being within striking distance of her, and the knight who shot her wore the same smug expression she'd seen on the men who cornered her family. Powerless and fearing death for the first time since that horrible night, Impa wondered whether she'd accomplished anything with the superhuman strength which was her blessing and curse. She'd failed to save her clan, whose souls would soon run out and be lost forever. Hyrule was no safer, with monsters still hunting the innocent like it was their right to do so.

She'd failed Link as well. He'd survive, but at the cost of witnessing the murder of someone he cared about. Her eyes misted over as she realized that he'd grow up angry and alone just like her. Looking at the terrified boy, she tried to apologize to him and tell him to run, but spit and blood dribbled from her mouth instead of words. Had she tried to be the mother figure Link wanted and needed, could she have prevented this? Would her end have been different if she kept her promise to Talon and tried to be happy?

"A warrior able to strike down every Gerudo who opposes them... What a vague prophecy," Ganondorf said with a chuckle. "My mothers must have already been senile when they told me that. I see now that there is no agent of destiny. _I_ control my destiny! No one controls Ganondorf Dragmire!"

Link didn't think he could bear to watch, but his eyes remained wide against his will, leaking despair as he took everything in. Impa couldn't die. When she stood up to the men surrounding them, he thought she'd proven that the world wasn't all bad, that all the suffering and enduring would eventually lead to happier days. But Ganondorf grinned as though Link's hope was a childish fantasy. The knights smiled with confidence that they wouldn't pay for the part they'd played in Impa's murder. Nabooru wore no expression at all, like it didn't matter that she was snuffing out the last bit of good in the world.

The day's events rubbed Link's soul until it was raw and angry like a wound, and something inside him broke, transforming his frightened expression into a glare. He'd been wrong all this time: he'd tried to be gentle like Saria and Marin wanted and never hurt people, but the creatures in front of him weren't people. They were monsters, worthless like him. The whole world was worthless if no one in it could save Impa from drowning in her own blood. Impa didn't want him to kill, but at that moment he wanted nothing more than to wipe the uncaring expressions off of everyone's faces forever.

Unable to even raise his head off the ground, he pointed his sword at Nabooru's infuriatingly placid face. He had no idea what he hoped to accomplish. All he knew was that he'd never hated anyone as much as he hated her. His blade glowed red like tempered steel, and Ganondorf stopped taunting Impa to look at him in alarm, but Nabooru didn't turn away. Good, Link thought. Let her indifference be her downfall.

Before anyone could voice their confusion, the light engulfing his sword leaped from it, traveling at high speed toward Nabooru's face. The jewel on her forehead shattered, and for the first time, she reacted. As though waking from a nightmare, she opened her eyes wide and screamed. Ganondorf stepped back, aghast as his invincible soldier fell, but rather than help her up, he gazed at Link in shock.

"What...how...?"

The king was flabbergasted, but revelation also brightened his visage. The knights screamed about there being a third demon, but Link couldn't listen for long. After exceeding his limits over and over, he finally had nothing left. His grip on his sword loosened, and his eyes closed.

Impa collapsed in a bloody heap, and Nabooru's weapon fell out of her. A burst of healing gave her the strength to pull the arrow from her neck, ripping a hole in her flesh which rapidly mended itself, but the rest of her body didn't heal. Realizing what that meant, she told herself with a heavy heart that there would be time to mourn later and crawled toward Link.

He was pale, the exertion from his mysterious attack having drained his spirit. He was so brave, but so small, no bigger than she'd been when tragedy befell her. She tried to squeeze his tiny hand, but only managed to weakly rub her fingers against it. Link didn't react, and she gritted her red-stained teeth, releasing the last of her energy until blue light enveloped them and their bodies faded from the battlefield.


End file.
